NIA confiscates SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannu's properties in Chandigarh, Amritsar

Amit Sharma

Chandigarh, September 23

Cracking down on Canada-based “designated individual terrorist” Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday confiscated the house and land of the self-styled General Counsel of the proscribed group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) outfit, in Chandigarh and Amritsar.

The properties were confiscated following confiscation orders passed by the NIA Special Court, Mohali.

The properties confiscated include 46-kanal agricultural land situated in Khankot village, Amritsar, and 1/4th share of house number 2033, Sector 15-C, Chandigarh. These properties were earlier attached following orders passed by the government in two different cases.

NIA stated that Pannu had been on their radar since 2019, when the anti-terror agency had registered its first case against the terrorist, who has been playing a major role in promoting and commissioning terror acts and activities and spreading fear and terror in Punjab and elsewhere in the country through his threats and intimidation tactics.

Consequently, non-bailable warrants of arrest were issued against Pannu by the NIA Special Court on February 3, 2021, and he was declared a ‘Proclaimed Offender (PO)’ on November 29 last year.

NIA investigations have revealed that Pannu’s organisation, SFJ, was misusing the cyberspace to radicalise gullible youth and to instigate them to undertake terrorist crimes and activities.

The investigations have further revealed that Pannu was the main handler and controller of the SFJ, which was declared as an “unlawful association” by the Indian Government on July 10, 2019.

Pannu, who was declared a “designated individual terrorist” by the government on July 1, 2020, has been actively exhorting Punjab-based gangsters and youth over the social media to fight for the cause of independent state of Khalistan, challenging the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country, NIA investigations have shown.

In recent days, Pannu has been in the news for issuing blatant threats to senior Indian diplomats and government functionaries in public forums. He had also threatened Canadian Hindus, asking them to leave Canada and claiming that they had adopted a ‘jingoistic approach’ by siding with India.

The properties have now been confiscated under section 33(5) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967, in case dated April 5, 2020, registered under sections 120-B, 124-A, 153-A 153-B and 17, 18 and 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The case was originally registered on October 19, 2018, under sections 124A, 153-A, 153-B and 120-B of IPC at Police Station Sultanwind, Amritsar (City) and later transferred to the NIA. A total of 10 accused, including Pannu, have so far been charge-sheeted in the case.