NIA raids: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday (November 22) raided premises of suspects at 14 locations in Punjab and Haryana having links to outlawed 'unlawful Association' Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), sources said. The raids were conducted in close coordination with the Punjab Police. The investigating agency conducted early morning raids following inputs about some suspects having links to the SFJ. NIA’s move comes two days after the agency announced on Monday to register a case against SFJ’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who in his latest viral video, threatened the Air India passengers and the airlines with a global blockade and closure of its operations from November 19.
NIA’s case against Pannun
Pannun was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and sections Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
“Pannun is the the self-proclaimed General Counsel' of the outlawed 'unlawful Association' SFJ, and is in the eye of the storm yet again following the release and circulation of video messages on various social media platforms urging the Sikhs not to fly on Air India planes on and after November 19 claiming threat to their lives if they flew on Air India,” NIA said in a statement.
Pannun had also threatened that Air India would not be allowed to fly in the world.
Pannun’s threats triggered a massive high alert and investigations by security forces in Canada, India and some other nations where Air India operates.
What had Pannun said?
Pannun, in video messages released on November 4, had urged Sikhs to stop flying on Air India planes on and after the said date and claimed that there is a potential threat to their lives.
Issuing warning to the Government of India, he had said, “The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) would remain closed on the 19th of November”. IGIA is one of the busiest airports in the world.
As part of his concerted plan to promote terror acts in India to revive terrorism in India, Pannun has been creating a false narrative around the issues prevailing in the state of Punjab, especially with regard to Sikh religion, by promoting enmity between the Sikhs in the country and other communities.
The latest threat is in line with the same narrative, which Pannun has actively promoted in the past by threatening & attempting to disrupt essential transportation network systems, including the Railways, as well as Thermal Power Plants in India.
Home Ministry's action against SFJ
The Ministry of Home Affairs had, on July 10, 2019, banned SFJ as an 'unlawful association' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for its activities. On July 1, 2020, Pannun was listed as an 'individual terrorist' by the Central government.
Pannun has been under the NIA scanner since 2019 in which the anti-terror agency registered its first case against him.
In September 2023, the NIA had confiscated his share of the house and land of the listed terrorist in Amritsar (Punjab) and Chandigarh Union Territory. Non-Bailable warrants of arrest were issued against Pannun by the NIA Special Court on February 3, 2021 and he was declared a 'Proclaimed Offender (PO)' on November 29, 2022.
(With ANI inputs)
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