On Saturday (23 September), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) confiscated the properties of designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistani leader and legal counsel of the proscribed terror outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). NIA also started t he procedure to confiscate the property of khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in Canada in June this year. The actions were taken on the orders of a CBI-NIA Special Court in Mohali.
NIA officials reached the property owned by Pannun at sector 15-C in Chandigarh and put up a notice of confiscation. The notice says, “1/4th share of house no. # 2033 sector 15-C, Chandigarh, owned by Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, a ‘proclaimed offender’ in NIA case RC-19/2020/NIA/DLI, stands confiscated to the state under section 33(5) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967 by orders of the NIA Special Court, Sas Nagar, Mohali, Punjab dated 14/09/2023. This is for information of general public.”
#WATCH | On the orders of the NIA court, NIA officials pasted a property confiscation notice outside a house owned by banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) founder and designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, in Chandigarh. pic.twitter.com/Q2p59nrdlt
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2023
Apart from action on Pannun, a special CBI-cum-NIA Court in Mohali on Saturday (23 September) also pasted a property confiscation notice outside the house of slain Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Bharsingh Pura village of Jalandhar district. The notice has been affixed outside the property following the orders of the NIA Mohali court.
The notice asks Hardeep Singh Nijjar to appear in court regarding the application filed by NIA on 11 September to confiscate his property in Jalandhar. The notice says, “Hardeep Singh Nijjar @ Nijjar Son of Piara Singh, Resident of Village Bharsinghpura, PS Phillaur, District Jalandhar, Punjab (To Be Served Upon him Personally or through his family members/ agent.) You are hereby directed to appear in this Court regarding the application U/S 33(5) of UA(P) Act filed by NIA to confiscate Immovable property belonging to Hardeep Singh Nijjar @ Nijjar on 11.09.2023 AT 10:00 A.M. Herein fall not.”
Punjab | On the orders of the NIA Mohali court, a property confiscation notice has been pasted outside a house belonging to Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in BharsinghPura village of Jalandhar district pic.twitter.com/eRPheA2bFA
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2023
An official release said that 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.
#LIVE: NIA confiscates properties of Sikhs For Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun; Watch this and other top stories of this hour https://t.co/VsI2957faS
— News18 (@CNNnews18) September 23, 2023
Speaking with News18, an official said, “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.”
According to the information received, the confiscated properties of Pannun include agricultural land in Village Khankot, Amritsar, and a share of House Number 2033, Sector 15/C, Chandigarh.
Pannun has been declared as an “individual terrorist” under the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment Act) and is under the scanner of multiple agencies who have filed cases against him.
Meanwhile, last year, in October, Interpol returned India’s request which sought a Red Notice against Pannun. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), responsible for coordinating with Interpol on behalf of India, received the NIA’s request for a Red Notice against Pannun, but it was sent back with additional queries.
Notably, the terror outfit SFJ was banned in 2019 under the provisions of Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 as it is being operated by extremist and terrorist elements to carry out secessionist activities and blood-shed in India. The terror outfit has been operated by a few radical Sikhs of foreign nationality in the US, Canada, the UK, etc.
Through an official notification on 10 July 2019, the Union government declared SFJ unlawful association and banned it for five years. The notification stated that the group’s primary objective was to establish an “independent and sovereign country” in Punjab. It added that the outfit openly espouses the cause of Khalistan and in that process, challenges the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.
The seizure of Pannun’s properties comes at a time when India-Canada is engaged in a diplomatic row over the alleged killing of a Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar with Ottawa accusing New Delhi of the same.
