New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a formal complaint against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the self-exiled leader of the banned pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), invoking stringent provisions under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The FIR, registered on August 19, follows inflammatory statements made by Pannun during a media event held at the Lahore Press Club in Pakistan on August 10. According to the NIA, Pannun addressed the gathering virtually from Washington D.C., using the platform to propagate secessionist rhetoric targeting India’s sovereignty.
As per the FIR, the SFJ leader not only called for the separation of Punjab from India but also announced a controversial monetary reward of Rs 11 crore to any Sikh soldier who would prevent the Indian Prime Minister from hoisting the national flag at the Red Fort on Independence Day.
Officials say Gurpatwant Singh Pannun also introduced a provocative “Delhi Banayga Khalistan” map during the event, which unrealistically attempts to include Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the national capital Delhi within an envisioned Khalistan territory — a move authorities see as a direct threat to national unity and territorial integrity.
The NIA has booked Pannun under various sections of the UAPA and BNS related to sedition, incitement to violence, promoting enmity, and conspiring against the Indian state. The case also includes unnamed individuals believed to be involved in the planning and dissemination of the event and related propaganda.
This is not the first time Pannun has come under scrutiny. His group, SFJ, was banned by the Indian government in 2019 for its anti-national activities, and Pannun himself has been designated a terrorist under Indian law. Despite this, he continues to operate from overseas, regularly issuing provocative messages targeting Indian institutions and leaders.
Security agencies are also looking into the international dimensions of the case, particularly the use of foreign soil—namely the U.S. and Pakistan—for what officials describe as anti-India campaigns.
With the FIR now officially registered, NIA sources have confirmed that further action, including the possibility of seeking Pannun’s extradition and expanding the probe to identify his local collaborators, is under active consideration.
India had already heightened its security posture ahead of Independence Day following intelligence inputs of possible disruptions, and this development adds further urgency to the threat landscape.
