Intel alert in four districts of Bareilly region as Khalistani posters crop up on Gurudwaras’ walls

Bareilly range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rakesh Singh informed the media that two cases of posters featuring Khalistani leaders had been reported in the Bareilly region. The first case was reported in Pilibhit’s Pooranpur police station limits, and the second in Baradari police station in Bareilly.

LUCKNOW: Police and intelligence sleuths have been on high alert in the entire Bareilly region, which has a significant Sikh population, since Thursday after the posters of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a leader of the Khalistan movement, and other separatists were put up outside gurdwaras in Bareilly and Pilibhit districts over the past five days, officials said.

Posters depicting Khalistani leaders as martyrs were put up at gurdwaras to gain support. (Sourced)

Police said that while the posters had been removed, the act appears to be part of a larger conspiracy by separatist groups to garner support. They added that the presence of these posters suggested the existence of Khalistani sympathisers in the Bareilly region, prompting the issuance of the alert.

Bareilly range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rakesh Singh informed the media that two cases of posters featuring Khalistani leaders had been reported in the Bareilly region. The first case was reported in Pilibhit’s Pooranpur police station limits, and the second in Baradari police station in Bareilly.

He added that an alert had been issued across the entire Bareilly range, including Bareilly, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, and Budaun districts. “Intelligence agencies are analysing the trend of putting up posters of Khalistani terrorists, posing them as martyrs.

Privy to the development, another police official said that Shahid Diwas (Martyrs Day) was observed among Sikhs from June 1 to 6. During this period, posters depicting Khalistani leaders as martyrs were put up at gurdwaras to gain support from local Sikhs. He said that this appeared to be part of a larger conspiracy by people associated with the Khalistani movement.

He said that the posters of separatist leaders were placed outside the Model Town Gurdwara in Bareilly’s Baradari area. An FIR was lodged against five individuals, including Gurdwara chief Malik Singh Kalra, Gurudeep Singh Bagga, Harnam Singh, Rajendra Singh, and Gyani Hardeep Singh Nimma. The FIR was filed under IPC Section 153-B (2), which pertains to imputations or assertions prejudicial to national integration at places of worship through words, signs, or visible representations.

Earlier, the similar FIR was lodged against Pilibhit’s Khalsa Niwas gurudwara chief Indrajeet Kaur Khalsa, granthi Joginder Singh and pradhan Amreek Singh after the posters come up on June 2 outside the worship place.