NEW DELHI, Sept 24: A day after the National Investigation Agency seized the Amritsar and Chandigarh properties of Canada-based Khalistani terrorist and head of the banned separatist organisation “Sikhs for Justice” Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the NIA is learnt to have prepared a list of 19 fugitive Khalistani terrorists living in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Dubai, Pakistan and other countries whose properties are also likely be confiscated.
The sources said the security agencies have been pursuing them for years. The action will be taken under the stringent anti-terror law UAPA. These terrorists have been accused of running anti-India propaganda from abroad.
The list names Paramjit Singh Pamma hiding in UK, Wadhwa Singh Babbar alia Chacha in Pakistan, Kulwant Singh Muthra in UK, Jay Dhaliwal in US, Sukhpal Singh in UK, Harpreet Singh alia Rana Singh in US, Sarabjeet Singh Bennur in UK, Kulwant Singh alias Kanta in UK, Harjap Singh alias Jappy Singh in California, US, Ranjit Singh Neeta in Lahore, Pakistan, Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga alias Baba, Gurpreet Singh alias Baaghi in UK, Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada in Dubai, Gurjant Singh Dhillon in Australia, Lakhbir Singh Rode in Europe and Canada, Amardeep Singh Poorewal in California, US, Jatinder Singh Grewal in Canada, Dupinder Jeet in UK, and S Himmat Singh in New York, US.
The NIA had on Saturday seized Pannun’s house in Punjab’s Chandigarh and confiscated land owned by him in Amritsar. Pannun, who faces 22 criminal cases in Punjab, including three of sedition, had recently threatened Indo-Canadian Hindus to leave the country and return to India. The big action comes days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kicked up a massive diplomatic row between the two countries over India’s alleged involvement in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in June.
These terrorists advocate for a religion-based separate state carved out from Punjab and many neighbouring areas in India, to be known as ‘Khalistan.’ Sikhs For Justice has also conducted “Punjab Independence Referendum” in Canada and Australia. The Indian government has called the so-called referendums ‘unfortunate’ and asked the Canadian government to act against it.
(Manas Dasgupta)