NIA Confiscates Punjab Properties Of Sikhs For Justice Leader

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has confiscated the properties of designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-based member of the banned pro-Khalistani group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The NIA had approached a special court for the confiscation of the immovable properties belonging to Pannun under section 33(5) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967, according to an official release.

Fringe organisation SFJ, run by a few radical Sikhs of foreign nationality in the US, Canada, the UK, etc., was declared unlawful under the provisions of Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The Centre by its July 10, 2019 notification had declared SFJ an unlawful association and had banned it for five years, saying the group’s primary objective was to establish an “independent and sovereign country” in Punjab and it openly espouses the cause of Khalistan and in that process, challenges the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.

Multiple agencies have filed cases against Pannun who has been declared as an “individual terrorist” under the fourth schedule of UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment Act), News18 reported.

The action comes amid Canada’s allegations that New Delhi had a hand in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“Pannun is accused in case RC-19/2020/NIA/DLI dated 05.04.2020 under sections 120-B, 124-A, 153-A 153-B and 17, 18 and 19 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The case relates to funding of terrorist activities in Punjab from abroad, creating disharmony among communities and radicalising youth for terrorist activities,” an official told News18.