NIA and Punjab Police probing SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in 35 cases

Gurpwatwant Singh Pannun, under the scanner of Indian agencies, is being probed in at least 35 cases registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Punjab Police till date and efforts are on to get him extradited to India, people familiar with the development said.

While Punjab police has to date filed 29 cases against Pannun and his associates since 2018, NIA is probing him in at least six cases, four of which were registered between 2019 and 2021 to probe a larger Khalistani conspiracy by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).

The self-proclaimed ‘general counsel’ of SFJ in the United States, Pannun was declared an “individual terrorist” under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) on July 1, 2020. The listing allows Indian agencies to act against him all over India and even confiscate his properties. His address in the US has been listed as 167-05, Powel Boulevard, Unit-22 White Stone, New York, by the agencies.

The NIA, in its larger conspiracy probe charge sheet against SFJ, Pannun and other pro-Khalistani leaders like UK based Paramjit Singh Pamma, slain Canada based leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and others, filed in December 2020, stated that SFJ, floated in the garb of a human rights advocacy group and with offices in various foreign countries like the US, Canada, the UK, Australia is a front for Khalistani terrorist outfits operating from foreign soil, including Pakistan.

At the time of banning SFJ as a terror organisation on July 10, 2019, MHA said in its notification – “SFJ is involved in anti-national and subversive activities in Punjab and elsewhere, intended to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India; is in close touch with the militant outfits and activists, and is supporting violent form of extremism and militancy in Punjab and elsewhere to carve out a sovereign Khalistan out of territory of Union of India; is encouraging and aiding the activities for secession of a part of the Indian territory from the Union of India and supporting separatist groups fighting for this purpose in India and elsewhere by indulging in activities and articulations intended to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.”

Pannun’s attempts to incite violence against Indians on foreign soil and attacking Indian missions and consulates is also under the scanner of agencies. In December 2020, NIA filed a case to probe alleged funding of Khalistani terrorist outfits abroad for organising on-ground campaign and demonstrations in outside Indian missions in the UK, the US, Canada, Germany and other countries.

The FIR named SFJ, Pannun, Pamma and Nijjar (now dead), and alleged that Khalistani elements were collecting funds for a rebellion against Indian government.

Earlier this month, the federal agency filed a case against Pannun for releasing viral videos threatening passengers flying Air India.

Subsequently, in a charge sheet filed in March this year to probe the nexus of India based gangsters, drug smugglers and Khalistanis, NIA said foreign based PKEs including Pannun, who also provides legal help to PKEs-gangsters in the respective countries they are hiding, uses services of gangsters for their anti-India protests and violent activities.