Police book pro-Khalistan outfit member Pannun
- July 13, 2020
- Updated: 12:50 am
DW BUREAU / CHANDIGARH
The Haryana Police on Sunday registered a second FIR against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US-based member of the banned pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice, on charges of sedition and secessionism. The Ministry of Home Affairs has designated Pannun a terrorist for actively running a secessionist campaign against India and motivating Sikh youth from Punjab to join militancy.
A Haryana police spokesperson said they have got all websites allegedly created by Pannun and launched in the past one week blocked. The FIR has been registered at Kurukshetra on the complaint of a state police official. The complainant has alleged that Pannun has been blaming the Haryana government and its people for being "inimical" to the interests of Sikhs and Punjabis. Earlier on July 3, Pannun was booked by the Haryana Police on charges of inciting terrorism and promoting sedition in India by making automated phone calls to people in the state.
The move followed two days after the Centre had designated Pannun, who had organised the Khalistan 2020 referendum, and eight others as terrorists under the latest provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The FIR was lodged at a Gurgaon police station under Sections 10(a) and 13 of the UAPA and Sections 124-A and 153-A of the India Penal Code.
Section 10-A of the UAPA defines the offence of being a member of an outlawed outfit and working for furthering its activities while Section 13 defines the offence of abetting or inciting terrorism. The two offences entail jail terms of two and seven years, respectively, on conviction.
Similarly, Section 124-A of the IPC defines the offence of sedition, attracting up to life sentence, while Section 153-A relates to the offence of promoting enmity between different groups of people on the ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language and doing acts prejudicial to harmony and entails up to three years of jail term.
(editor@dailyworld.in)