NIA confiscates assets in Punjab linked to US-based Khalistani extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained considerable assets in Chandigarh and Amritsar linked to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistani extremist, in Punjab under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Pannun, a designate on the government's terrorist blacklist, is the legal advisor of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a secessionist outfit outlawed by the Indian government.

A property confiscation notice pasted outside Pannun's residence at sector 15 in Chandigarh reads, “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.”

The confiscated properties, including lands and buildings, are reportedly valued at millions of rupees. This action is part of the ongoing investigation into Pannun and SFJ's alleged anti-national activities, including attempts to instigate discontent among the Sikh community, advocating for separatism, and planning violent acts against the country.

The Central Investigating Agency has confiscated 46 kanal of agricultural land that belongs to Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, posted in relation to an ongoing 2020 terror case. The land in question is located in Pannu's ancestral village of Khankot, Amritsar, where an identical notice has also been erected.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's father, Mohinder Singh Pannu, was a resident of Nathu Chak village of Patti sub-division in Tarn Taran before the partition. After the partition, the family shifted to Khankot village of Amritsar.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is one of the founders of the US-based separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which actively advocates for a separate state for Sikhs, dubbed Khalistan, in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

In July 2020, the Union home ministry of India marked Gurpatwant Singh Pannun as a designated terrorist. The government took subsequent action in September, ordering the attachment of his properties under Section 51A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Known for his secessionist activities, Pannun has been influential in running a voracious campaign against India. He has also been reported to have been actively motivating Sikh youth in his home state, Punjab, to join the dangerous path of militancy.

He was a key organiser of the so-called Khalistan Referendum, which invited Sikhs from all over the world to vote on whether Punjab should become an independent nation based on religion. He also collaborated closely with Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian whose assassination has been at the heart of the diplomatic dispute between Ottawa and New Delhi.

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