NIA raids across Punjab in terror probe linked to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

The case pertains to a larger conspiracy orchestrated by Pannun and other SFJ members to incite violence and promote terror-related activities.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday conducted raids at four locations across Punjab as part of its ongoing investigation into a terror conspiracy involving designated Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his banned organisation, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has been under NIA scrutiny since 2019, when the agency first filed a case against him.

NIA teams targeted premises in Moga, two locations in Bathinda, and one in Mohali, linked to suspects involved in the case, the agency said in a statement. The raids resulted in the seizure of various incriminating materials, including digital devices, which are now under examination.

The case pertains to a larger conspiracy orchestrated by Pannun and other SFJ members to incite violence and promote terror-related activities.

The NIA had registered the case on November 17, 2023, under sections 120B, 153A, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), alongside sections 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, 18B, and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.

"The NIA on Friday conducted searches at four locations across Punjab in a case related to the promotion of terror-related activities and violence by SFJ leader Gurupatwant Singh Pannun," the agency said.

Pannun, who serves as the self-proclaimed general counsel of SFJ, had issued video threats on social media on November 4, 2023, warning Sikhs against flying on Air India planes from November 19 onward, claiming there would be a threat to their safety. He also threatened to disrupt Air India's global operations.

In his video, Pannun warned the Indian government that Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi, one of the world’s busiest airports, would be "shut down" on November 19, 2023.

These threats prompted a high alert and investigations across India, Canada, and other countries where Air India operates.

The NIA had stated that Pannun has been actively promoting a false narrative about issues in Punjab. His actions, the agency said, aim to incite enmity between Sikhs and other communities in India.

"The latest threat is in line with the same narrative, which Pannun has actively promoted in the past by threatening and attempting to disrupt essential transportation networks, including the Railways, as well as Thermal Power Plants in India," the central agency added.

Pannun has been under NIA scrutiny since 2019 when the agency first registered a case against him.

Last year, in September 2023, the NIA confiscated his share of a house and land in Amritsar, Punjab, and Chandigarh. In February 2021, the NIA special court issued non-bailable warrants for his arrest, and in November 2022, he was declared a "Proclaimed Offender" by the court.