2 held affixing Sikh Referendum posters

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 19

With the arrest of two persons on Friday, the Punjab Police claimed to have busted a Khalistani module.

They were identified as Sukhraj Singh, alias Raju, and Malkit Singh, alias Meetu. They were allegedly promoting the Sikh Referendum 2020 campaign by affixing banners and posters at public places in the holy city. The police also seized material used in making the banners/posters from Kot Mit Singh Canal and Sukhraj’s house.

In a statement issued here, police officials said as per initial investigations, the two were being funded from overseas as part of the campaign started by Gurpartap Singh Pannu, legal adviser to the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a New York-based organisation. The two were booked under Sections 124-A, 153-A, 153-B and 120-B of the IPC for attempts to disturb peace by spreading hatred by way of motivating youngsters and instigating the public through a campaign.

The police officials said the city police received a tip-off about the campaign being carried out to disseminate the message of Sikh Referendum 2020 by putting up banners and posters at various places.

Sukhraj Singh, who originally hailed from Nagoke village in Tarn Taran and at present living in Sultanwind village, was making poster and banners at his home along with Malkit Singh of Behniwal village. Further investigations revealed that they were receiving funds from someone settled abroad to create disturbance in the state by triggering tension between two communities, said the police spokesperson. A raid on Sukhraj’s house led to the recovery of a dye, banners, paint and cloth. The two men were arrested along with some more material from an under-construction bridge at Kot Mit Singh Canal where they were spotted affixing banners.

Sukhraj, who is unemployed, told the police that he had been associated with the SFJ for the past one year and had put up their posters at various places like Chheharta, Alpha One Mall, Putlighar, etc. For this, he was being paid instalments of Rs 25,000-50,000 and had so far received Rs 2 lakh. He usually got the money from money transfer and hawala channels, and occasionally through accounts of other persons. Malkit was reportedly working as a conductor in a private bus.