NIA has filed a charge-sheet against 16 Khalistanis based outside Bharat for their conspiracy to create Khalistan and launching a secessionist campaign for the same. The charge-sheet was filed before the NIA Special Court in New Delhi under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
The accused persons hail from the USA, UK, and Canada. The NIA in its statement has said that the accused persons belong to an organization called Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) which acts as a frontal organization for Khalistanis under the garb of Human Rights Group and operates from various foreign countries including Pakistan.
NIA also said that the organization was attempting to radicalize youth in the name of region and religion using various social media platforms. According to NIA apart from raising funds for terrorism, SFJ has been making attempts to undermine the security of the country by instigating Sikh personnel in the Bharatiya army to rise up in mutiny against Bharat. SFJ is also trying to radicalize the youth of Kashmir and openly extending support for the secession of Kashmir from Bharat.
Immovable properties of two terrorists identified as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in District Amritsar, Punjab, and terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in District Jalandhar, Punjab have also been attached by the NIA in the exercise of its powers under Section 51-A of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.
The NIA press release reads:
- Today (09.12.2020), NIA filed a Chargesheet against 16 accused persons before the NIA Special Court, New Delhi in RC 02/2019/NIA/DLI (Referendum 2020/SFJ case) registered u/s 120B, 124A, 153A, 153B, and 505 of IPC and 13, 17 and 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The case pertains to an organized conspiracy by the accused for launching a concerted secessionist campaign under the banner of ‘Referendum 2020’ for the creation of ‘Khalistan’.
- The charge-sheeted accused are i) Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, r/o New York, USA; ii) Avtar Singh Pannun, r/o New York, USA; iii) Gurpreet Singh Baagi r/o UK; iv) Harpreet Singh @ Rana Singh r/o New York, USA; v) Paramjit Singh @ Pamma, r/o UK; vi) Sarabjit Singh Bannur, r/o UK; vii) Amardeep Singh Purewal @Amardeep Singh Khalsa, r/o California, USA; viii) J S Dhaliwal, r/o Canada; ix) Kulwant Singh Mothada r/o UK, x) Dupinderjit Singh, r/o UK; xi) Hardeep Singh Nijjar, r/oCanada; xii) Kulwant Singh @ Kanta @Mann Singh Khalsa, r/o UK; xiii) Harjaap Singh @Japhi Singh, r/o California, USA; xiv) Sarabjit Singh @Sabi Singh, r/o California, USA; xv) Jatinder Singh Grewal, r/o Canada; and xvi) S Himmat Singh, r/o New York, USA. The above individuals are members of Sikh for Justice, an organization declared as ‘Unlawful Association’ under UA(P) Act.
- Investigation in the case has revealed that Sikhs for Justice, a secessionist outfit floated in the garb of ‘Human Rights advocacy group’ with its offices in various foreign countries like the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, etc, is a frontal organization of Khalistan terrorist outfits operating from foreign soils including Pakistan. Under this campaign numerous social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, YouTube Channels and a number of websites have been launched, which are being used to propagate sedition as well as enmity on the grounds of region and religion, to radicalize impressionable youth, to cause disturbance to peace and harmony and to raise funds for terrorist activities. SFJ has been attempting to undermine the security of the Indian State by instigating Sikh personnel in the Indian army to rise up in mutiny against India. SFJ is also trying to radicalize the youth of Kashmir and openly extending support for the secession of Kashmir from India.
- Based on the dossiers provided by NIA and other agencies, the chief patrons of SFJ namely Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Paramjit Singh @ Pamma have already been designated as ‘Terrorist’under UA(P)Act. During the course of the investigation, NIA identified immovable properties belonging to terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in District Amritsar, Punjab and terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in District Jalandhar, Punjab. Based on the request of NIA, the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, in the exercise of powers conferred under Section 51-A of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, has ordered attachment of these properties.
- Further investigation in the case continues.