The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered a case against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun over his recent video threat to flying Air India passengers.
Pannun was booked under sections including 120B, 153A and 506 of the IPC. He was also charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Pannun, the self-proclaimed general counsel of "unlawful association" SFJ, released the video messages on social media platforms on November 4. In the video, he had urged Sikhs to stop flying on Air India planes on and after 19th November claiming threat to their lives. Pannun also threatened that Air India would not be allowed to operate in the world.
A high alert was triggered after his video threat with the investigating agencies investigating in Canada, India and certain other countries where Air India flies.
In his video messages, Pannun also issued a warning to the Indian government and the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi. He issued a warning to close the airport, which is one of the busiest airports in the nation.
The NIA spokesperson said Pannun has been under the lens since 2019, when the anti-terror agency registered its first case against him.
In September this year, NIA had confiscated his share of the house and land in Amritsar and Chandigarh. Non-Bailable warrants of arrest were issued against Pannun by the NIA Special Court on February 2021 and he was declared a 'Proclaimed Offender' on November 2022.
On July 10, 2019, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had banned the SFJ as an "unlawful association" under UAPA for its activities.
NIA in a statement said that "as part of his concerted plan to promote terror acts India and revive terrorism...Pannun has been creating a false narrative around the issues prevailing in the state of Punjab, especially with regard to Sikh religion by promoting enmity between Sikhs in the country and other communities."
NIA also added that Pannun in the past has promoted terror acts by threatening and attempting to disrupt essential transportation network systems, including the Railways, as well as Thermal Power Plants in India.
