Big action from Delhi on Pannu amid India-US tension, ‘Sikhs for Justice’ will be banned again

Rahul Tripathi, New Delhi: The central government has decided to ban Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for the next five years under UAPA. According to officials, this decision has been taken on the basis of new evidence found in the investigation conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). This evidence has been collected against SFJ and its patron Gurpatwant Singh Pannu. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered more than half a dozen cases against ‘Sikhs for Justice’ (SFJ) and American citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannu. Last year, the agency also took possession of his/her properties in Punjab and Chandigarh.

It was banned for the first time in 2019
SFJ was first banned for five years on 10 July 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for spreading terror in India. According to the NIA, Pannu has been playing a key role in spreading terror and carrying out terrorist activities through threats and violence in Punjab and other parts of India. Also, the agency says that his/her organisation ‘Sikhs for Justice’ is misusing cyberspace to mislead innocent youth and incite them to terrorist activities.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation has revealed that Gurpatwant Singh Pannu is the main operator of ‘Sikhs for Justice’ (SFJ). he/she has been inciting gangsters and youth of Punjab through social media to fight for creating a separate country ‘Khalistan’. This is against the security, integrity and sovereignty of India. The NIA investigation has also revealed that Pannu has publicly threatened senior Indian diplomats and government officials.

Who is Jaswinder Singh alias Multani?
According to the NIA investigation, ‘Sikhs for Justice’ (SFJ) is also suspected to be involved in the April 2022 Model Jail Tiffin bomb blast in Punjab. Jaswinder Singh alias Multani, who was then working from Germany, carried out this attack. Multani is a member of SFJ. he/she was in contact with Khalistan supporters living in India, Pakistan and other countries. According to the NIA investigation, he/she was using these people to spread violence and terror. Multani used to find youth from Punjab through social media, prepare them for terrorism and incite them. According to the agency, he/she was also helping in this work by collecting funds to bring weapons, ammunition and explosives from Pakistan to India.

According to the US Justice Department, an Indian man named Nikhil Gupta was arrested from the Czech Republic in June this year and brought to the US. 53-year-old Nikhil is accused of being involved in the conspiracy to murder Gurpatwant Singh Pannu. The US Justice Department says that an official of the Indian government was also involved in this conspiracy.