NIA seized properties of Khalistani terrorist who threatened Hindus in Canada

New Delhi: In a decisive move against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistani terrorist and the head of the banned separatist organisation Sikhs for Justice, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has seized his residence in Chandigarh, and confiscated his property in Amritsar. Pannun, facing 22 criminal cases in Punjab, including three for sedition, had recently threatened Indo-Canadian Hindus to leave Canada and return to India.

The seized properties include 46 Kanal of agricultural land in his ancestral village, Khankot, situated on the outskirts of Amritsar district. Additionally, a property identified as house no 2033 in Sector 15-C, Chandigarh, has also been seized, effectively belonging to the government. Pannu, the self-styled General Counsel of the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), lost all rights to the properties after they were attached in 2020, preventing him from selling them.

The NIA action, a significant boost in the country’s crackdown on terror and secessionist networks operating from various countries, including Canada, followed confiscation orders from the NIA Special Court, SAS Nagar, Mohali, as stated in an NIA release.

Pannun’s outfit advocates for a religion-based separate state called ‘Khalistan,’ carved out from Punjab and adjoining areas of India. Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has also organized “Punjab Independence Referendum” events in Canada and Australia. The Indian government has labeled these referendums as ‘unfortunate’ and has urged the Canadian government to take action against them.

Pannun has been on the NIA’s radar since 2019, identified for promoting and commissioning terror acts and activities, spreading fear and terror in Punjab and across the country through threats and intimidation tactics. The Indian Home Ministry had declared Pannun a terrorist in July 2020 and sought an Interpol red notice for him, though it was twice rejected, citing insufficient information.

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The NIA investigations have unveiled Pannu’s extensive use of cyberspace to radicalize youth, instigating them towards terrorist acts, and challenging the sovereignty, integrity, and security of India. His organization, Sikhs for Justice, was declared an ‘Unlawful Association’ by the Government of India in July 2019, NIA further stated.

In recent times, Pannu has gained notoriety for issuing explicit threats to senior Indian diplomats and government functionaries in public forums.