The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at 14 premises in Punjab and Haryana on Wednesday. The locations were linked to the outlawed organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and its self-proclaimed General Counsel, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The raids were conducted based on specific inputs about some suspects having links to SFJ and Pannun.
The places being searched include Khanna and Moga in Punjab, and Yamuna Nagar and Kurukshetra in Haryana. The raids have been underway since morning in close coordination with the Punjab and Haryana Police.
Two days ago, the NIA announced the registration of a case against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a listed individual terrorist of SFJ. This action was taken in response to Pannun’s latest viral video in which he threatened passengers flying with Air India and the airline itself with a global blockade and closure of operations starting from November 19.
The NIA has booked Pannun under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
In a statement, the NIA highlighted that Pannun is the self-proclaimed General Counsel of the SFJ, which is an outlawed unlawful association. He has been in the eye of the storm once again due to the release and circulation of video messages on social media platforms urging Sikhs not to fly on Air India planes from November 19, claiming a threat to their lives. Pannun also threatened that Air India would not be allowed to operate worldwide.
These assertions and threats by Pannun have triggered a high alert and investigations by security forces in Canada, India, and other countries where Air India operates.
In the video messages released on November 4, Pannun had urged Sikhs to boycott Air India planes due to a potential threat to their lives. He also issued a warning to the Government of India that the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi would remain closed on November 19. IGIA is one of the busiest airports in the world.
Pannun has been actively promoting acts of terror in India with the aim of reviving terrorism in Punjab. He has been creating a false narrative about issues related to the Sikh religion, inciting enmity between Sikhs and other communities in the country. His latest threat is consistent with this narrative, as Pannun has previously attempted to disrupt essential transportation networks such as Railways and Thermal Power Plants in India.
The Ministry of Home Affairs declared SFJ as an ‘unlawful association’ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in July 2019. Pannun was listed as an ‘individual terrorist’ by the Central government in July 2020.
The NIA has been monitoring Pannun since 2019 and had previously confiscated his share of the house and land in Amritsar and Chandigarh. Non-bailable warrants for his arrest were issued by the NIA Special Court on February 3, 2021, and he was declared a ‘Proclaimed Offender (PO)’ on November 29, 2022.
