Key operative of Sikhs for Justice arrested for vandalising Ambedkar statue in Kharar

The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Mohali has arrested Resham Singh, a key operative of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and close aide of USA-based head of SFJ Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, for his involvement in vandalising the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar in Phillaur and executing a series of pro-Khalistan graffiti across the state.

Advertisement

Preliminary investigation has revealed that acting on the directions of USA-based Surinder Singh Thikriwal — a wanted criminal in multiple UAPA cases — and SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, the arrested accused, who belongs to village Hamidi in Barnala, vandalised the statue of Dr BR Ambedkar at Nangal in Phillaur in the first week of June 2025.

Resham Singh, who is also accused of repeatedly defacing public property with pro-Khalistan and pro-SFJ graffiti in districts including Patiala, Faridkot, Jalandhar, and other districts, had been absconding since the incident. “During the Indo-Pak escalation in May 2025, he painted inflammatory slogans such as ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ and ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ to incite public unrest and promote anti-national sentiments,” said DGP Gaurav Yadav. He added that evidence also indicates the accused was receiving foreign funding to carry out these unlawful activities.

DGP Gaurav Yadav stated that the arrested accused had previously been arrested in two UAPA cases — registered in Karnal and Sangrur — for painting anti-national graffiti. AIG SSOC Mohali Ravjot Grewal said police teams had received reliable input about the involvement of accused Resham Singh in painting graffiti on walls and bridges containing content specifically targeting actions intended to excite secession, armed rebellion, or subversive activities.

Based on inputs and sustained surveillance, the SSOC Mohali team launched an intelligence-led operation and arrested accused Resham from Kharar in Mohali, where he was provided a hideout by his handler Surinder Thikriwal. During sustained interrogation, accused Resham Singh revealed that he was first introduced to the SFJ network in 2019 through Harpreet Singh alias Rana, who hosted the media channel “Politics Punjab” (now banned) operated from the USA.

Harpreet Rana was instrumental in connecting Resham to key SFJ members, including Bikramjit Singh (USA), JS Dhaliwal, and Gurpatwant Singh Pannu himself. After being released from Sangrur Jail in May 2024 after around two years, the accused resumed his anti-national activities under the influence of Surinder Thikriwal, who is an ex-terrorist from Thikriwal village in Barnala and had fled to the USA in 2022.

The probe has revealed that after each act, accused Resham used to record videos and send them to his handlers abroad, who used them to fuel secessionist propaganda. Till now, the accused has received around Rs 8 to 10 lakh from his foreign-based handlers.