AgenciesNEW DELHI: The US-based separatist outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) hatched an “organised conspiracy” to further its Khalistan cause by trying to instigate Sikh personnel in the Indian Army to rise in mutiny against India, a chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said.
The chargesheet, which names 16 accused including SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Babbar Khalsa International head Paramjit Singh alias Pamma, also claimed that SFJ was trying to radicalise Kashmiri youth and openly extending support for secession of Kashmir from India.
The chargesheet has been filed at a time when there have been concerns that SFJ and other Khalistani outfits, operating out of Pakistan, would attempt to use the current unrest over the farmers’ agitation to infiltrate the stir and use it to whip up disaffection.
Pannun, a resident of New York, Canada-based Nijjar and UK-based Paramjit ‘Pamma’ were listed as ‘individual terrorists’ under the Fourth Schedule of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in July.
The SFJ, banned as an ‘unlawful association’ under UAPA, was on Wednesday described by the NIA as a “frontal organisation of Khalistani terrorist outfits” with links to Pakistan. NIA sources said the SFJ had been running a vigorous campaign on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and YouTube and had been calling India-based mobile numbers to push its pro-Khalistan ‘Referendum 2020’ agenda.
The chargesheet in the ‘Referendum 2020’ case, filed in a special court here on Wednesday, named 16 foreign-based patrons and members of the SFJ. The accused are Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Avtar Singh Pannun (US), Gurpreet Singh Baagi (UK), Harpreet Singh (US), Paramjit Singh ‘Pamma’ (UK), Sarabjit Singh Bannur (UK), Amardeep Singh Purewal (California, US), J S Dhaliwal (Canada) and others.
The NIA said its investigation found that the SFJ, a secessionist outfit floated in the garb of a ‘human rights advocacy group’ having its offices in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, was a frontal organisation of Khalistani terrorist outfits operating from Pakistan. “Under this (Referendum 2020) 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 radicalise impressionable youth, to cause disturbance to peace and harmony and to raise funds for terrorist activities,” the agency said.
The NIA said SFJ has been attempting to undermine the security of the Indian state by instigating Sikh personnel in the Army to rise up in mutiny against India. “The SFJ is also trying to radicalise youth of Kashmir and openly extending support for secession of Kashmir from India,” the agency said in a statement on Wednesday.
After Gurpatwant Pannun, Nijjar and Paramjit ‘Pamma’ — chief patrons of SFJ — were designated as “terrorists” under UAPA, the NIA identified immovable properties belonging to Gurpatwant Pannun in Amritsar and to Nijjar in Jalandhar. Based on the request of the NIA, the home ministry has ordered attachment of these properties.
The chargesheet, which names 16 accused including SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Babbar Khalsa International head Paramjit Singh alias Pamma, also claimed that SFJ was trying to radicalise Kashmiri youth and openly extending support for secession of Kashmir from India.
The chargesheet has been filed at a time when there have been concerns that SFJ and other Khalistani outfits, operating out of Pakistan, would attempt to use the current unrest over the farmers’ agitation to infiltrate the stir and use it to whip up disaffection.
Pannun, a resident of New York, Canada-based Nijjar and UK-based Paramjit ‘Pamma’ were listed as ‘individual terrorists’ under the Fourth Schedule of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in July.
The SFJ, banned as an ‘unlawful association’ under UAPA, was on Wednesday described by the NIA as a “frontal organisation of Khalistani terrorist outfits” with links to Pakistan. NIA sources said the SFJ had been running a vigorous campaign on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and YouTube and had been calling India-based mobile numbers to push its pro-Khalistan ‘Referendum 2020’ agenda.
The chargesheet in the ‘Referendum 2020’ case, filed in a special court here on Wednesday, named 16 foreign-based patrons and members of the SFJ. The accused are Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Avtar Singh Pannun (US), Gurpreet Singh Baagi (UK), Harpreet Singh (US), Paramjit Singh ‘Pamma’ (UK), Sarabjit Singh Bannur (UK), Amardeep Singh Purewal (California, US), J S Dhaliwal (Canada) and others.
The NIA said its investigation found that the SFJ, a secessionist outfit floated in the garb of a ‘human rights advocacy group’ having its offices in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, was a frontal organisation of Khalistani terrorist outfits operating from Pakistan. “Under this (Referendum 2020) 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 radicalise impressionable youth, to cause disturbance to peace and harmony and to raise funds for terrorist activities,” the agency said.
The NIA said SFJ has been attempting to undermine the security of the Indian state by instigating Sikh personnel in the Army to rise up in mutiny against India. “The SFJ is also trying to radicalise youth of Kashmir and openly extending support for secession of Kashmir from India,” the agency said in a statement on Wednesday.
After Gurpatwant Pannun, Nijjar and Paramjit ‘Pamma’ — chief patrons of SFJ — were designated as “terrorists” under UAPA, the NIA identified immovable properties belonging to Gurpatwant Pannun in Amritsar and to Nijjar in Jalandhar. Based on the request of the NIA, the home ministry has ordered attachment of these properties.
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5 Comments on this Story
 | Gopal Sriniwasan4 hours ago Are the Indian Armed forces so weak as an institution that a mere innuendos by a disgruntled seperatist organisation can rattled the government and the forces. By alleging and make it public,isn't the NIA questioning and creating suspicion in the mind of Sikh Army Personnel who have served withunquestionable loyalty and valour for the Indian nationhood. The Sikh community as a seperate religious identity will also appreciate that their Gurus had sacrificed their lives fighting the Moguls and also after the Independence the Sikhs have been the SWORD ARM of India. |
 | Mm5 hours ago Sikhs are loyal and faithful people.They will not attempt anything foolish like Mutiny.They are happily settled and scattered all over India.And what trash do this terrorist outfit has got to offer other than association with bankrupt Pakistan whose population is already struggling for their survival. |
| Pavan Joshi5 hours ago SFJ and its followers must explain what is the injustice...? |