US-based Sikh outfit SFJ booked for sedition
SFJ was allegedly spreading rumours about the lockdown due to COVID-19 crisis
SFJ was allegedly spreading rumours about the lockdown due to COVID-19 crisis
SFJ was allegedly spreading rumours about the lockdown due to COVID-19 crisis
SFJ was allegedly spreading rumours about the lockdown due to COVID-19 crisis
US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) were booked by Punjab police on Friday for making seditious automated calls to instigate the youth in the state and disrupt peace. The calls allegedly spread rumours about the measures taken by the state during the COVID-19 crisis, even terming the ongoing curfew as ‘torture’.
According to DGP Dinkar Gupta, Pannun and his outfit have been booked under section 124 A of IPC, and Sections 10 (a) and 13 (1) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, at the State Special Operations Cell, Mohali.
“Preliminary enquiries have revealed that Pannun was carrying on with seditious activities using automated calls and pre-recorded audio messages to disrupt peace in the state by exploiting the ongoing anguish and distress in curfew times and further frustrate the masses. We suspect a bigger conspiracy, and are investigating,” said Varinder Pal Singh, AIG State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Mohali, Punjab.
According to the police, they got a recorded audio message which was disseminated from an international number from North America that claimed the central government and state government were torturing the youth under the garb of COVID-19 lockdown.
Similarly, the police got a tip off about another call where Pannun is heard asking callers to vote for SFJ if they agreed with outfit ideology by pressing ‘1’, or pressing ‘2’ if they agreed with Central and state government’s take on COVID-19. In another message, Pannun says he is calling from Punjab and offers monetary help of Rs 2,000 from SFJ to each COVID-19 patient.
SFJ was declared an ‘unlawful association’ by the ministry of home affairs in July 2019 for indulging in seditious activities threatening internal security of India.