Punjab Police book SFJ adviser Gurpatwant Pannu for sedition

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 18

Punjab Police on Thursday booked Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, US-based legal adviser of the banned organisation Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), for sedition and unlawful activities, instigating youth of Punjab in favour of ‘Referendum 2020’, provoking the secession of Punjab from India and attempt to spread dissatisfaction among the country’s armed forces or abetting mutiny.

He has been instigating people of Punjab through pre-recorded audio message (IVR) from different international numbers mainly from the US for last few months. Pannu was booked under Sections 124-A (waging war against India), 131 (abetting mutiny) 153-A (promotion disunity and disharmony) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 10(a), 13(1) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

The trigger point for registration of the case took place today after Pannu reportedly approached the Chinese government for helping him in his anti-India activities. Also, a number of pre-recorded calls emanating from Pakistan were also received by number of citizens, including advocates, journalists and police officials. Some callers claimed they were calling from China or were Chinese and supported Pannu.

DGP Dinkar Gupta said the calls from Pakistan proved that the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of that country was planning the whole conspiracy. Also, the attempts to involve China, at a time when a bloody clash has taken place between armed forces of both countries, suggests there is a bigger conspiracy against the country through Pannu.

“It is highly insensitive that when brave Punjab soldiers had achieved martyrdom fighting Chinese army, Pannu and others were carrying their nefarious designs in causing bloodshed and violence in Punjab. We will never let it happen as Punjabis are living in peace,” said DGP Dinkar Gupta. He said it was also unfortunate that the trouble was being created when each resident of the state was fighting against the spread of deadly coronavirus.

Police had earlier also lodged two FIRs against Gurpatwant Singh Pannu for his anti-India activities.

However, during last 2 months, he continued to send these pre-recorded messages from different numbers regarding which 21 DDR’s has been recorded and total 54 numbers have been blocked.

A police spokesperson added that on June 13 and 15, one person who introduced himself as Imran made these calls saying “Sikhs for Justice will be starting a voter registration for Referendum 2020 in Punjab. Today, you have the opportunity to undo the mistake of 1947 by participating in Referendum 2020 and Pakistan will also get a peaceful neighbour”. In this regard, a DDR on June 06 and another one on June 15 were recorded.

On June 18, another pre-recorded audio message (IVR) was received from different numbers, where the caller claimed that she is from China and supporter of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and wanted to tell the people of Punjab that voter registration for Punjab ‘Referendum 2020’ will start from July 4.