New Delhi: Intelligence agencies have claimed in their report that Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Canadian-based pro-Khalistan terrorist, incited young individuals to engage in a secessionist movement and persuaded them to paste provocative posters bearing pro-liberation slogans in Punjab.
He also runs a law firm abroad. Pannun’s law firm is known as ‘Pannun Law Firm’ and has offices in New York (Astoria Boulevard, Queens) and California (Liberty Street, Fremont).
However, ironically, he has been accused of spreading hatred in India, and also creating law and order problems in the country.
On July 6, 2017, a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was filed against Pannun at Sohna, SAS Nagar.
Several youths were arrested in connection with this case.
The Intelligence report mentions that, on Pannun’s instructions, the arrested youths were involved in promoting the secessionist movement and also in posting provocative posters with pro-liberation slogans in Punjab.
A case under the TADA Act was also registered against Pannun on December 20, 1990.
On April 2, 2018, another case was filed against Pannu at PS Sadar Banga, SBS Nagar.
Pannu was accused of encouraging Sikh youths to burn liquor shops and engage in other destructive activities.
A month later, on May 31, 2018, another FIR was lodged at Rangar Nangal, Batala.
The police dismantled a terror module engaged in burning liquor shops and planning other destructive activities, including killings. It was revealed that they were instigated by Pannun.
Pannun also urged youths to display banners for the Punjab Referendum across the state.
On October 19, 2018, a case was registered at Sultanwind, Amritsar, regarding this incident.
On Pannun’s instructions, these youths attempted to display Referendum 2020 banners in Amritsar city, potentially leading to communal tensions between Hindus and Sikhs.
In 2019, Pannun was charged under several sections of the IPC, and under sections 13, 17, and 18 of the UA(P) Act by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for involvement in secessionist and terrorist activities against India.
This case was filed on January 15, 2019. Later, in April 2020, the NIA added sedition charges against Pannun.
It has been learnt that Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s father, Mohinder Singh Pannun Jat, was a resident of village Nathu Chak, Patti, TTN (before Partition) and Village Kahnkot, PS Ram Bagh, District Amritsar-City (after Partition). He resided in Chandigarh between 1953 and 1996 until his death.
Amarjit Kaur Pannun, around 80 years old, is his mother.
Pannun was married to Kulwinder Kaur, also known as Nikki, a resident of Dhariwal in Gurdaspur district.
They have one son and one daughter.
(Atul Krishan can be approached at atul.k@ians.in)
–IANS
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