Three operatives of the banned separatist group Sikhs of Justice were arrested for writing pro-Khalistan slogans at public places in Delhi and Punjab's Bathinda, police said on Tuesday.
The arrests were made by Bathinda Police and its counter-intelligence wing, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.
“In a major breakthrough, Counter-Intelligence, Bathinda & Bathinda Police have arrested three #SFJ operatives for writing Pro-Khalistan slogans at various public places including Bathinda, #Punjab & #Delhi, backed by #NewYork-based mastermind Gurpatwant Pannu of Sikhs for Justice (#SFJ)” Yadav said in a post on X.
“The investigation has been carried out in a professional and scientific manner to solve the case,” he added.
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The pro-Khalistani slogans were found written on the walls of the District Administrative Complex and Court Complex in Bathinda on April 27.
Similar pro-Khalistani slogans appeared on the pillars of Jhandewalan Metro Station and Karol Bagh Metro Station in Delhi on May 9, prompting police to launch an investigation.
A security guard at a building close to the Karol Bagh Metro station said that he noticed the writing in black paint on the pillars of the metro station when he came for duty on Sunday morning.
{{/usCountry}}A security guard at a building close to the Karol Bagh Metro station said that he noticed the writing in black paint on the pillars of the metro station when he came for duty on Sunday morning.
{{/usCountry}}"I came to duty at 8 am and saw that something was written in black colour on the pillars of the metro station. A huge crowd had gathered there and was reading the slogans," Bajrangi, the security guard, said speaking to ANI.
"These slogans may have been written at night because no one was there at that time and no one saw who wrote these slogans," he added.
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Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is one of the founders of the US-based separatist group Sikhs for Justice and has been actively lobbying for a separate state for Sikhs, which they call Khalistan, in the US, Canada and the UK.
In July 2020, Pannun was designated a terrorist by the Union home ministry and two months later, the government ordered the attachment of his properties under Section 51A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Pannun has been running a campaign against India and motivating Sikh youngsters in his home state Punjab to join militancy.