Ranchi Police have registered an FIR against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun—leader of banned pro-Khalistan terrorist outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) — and tightened the security of Jharkhand capital after an alleged video threatening to disrupt the fourth Test Match between India and England, scheduled to be held on Friday, February 23, surfaced on social media, news agency PTI reported.
Pannun has also appealed to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) on social media to disrupt the Test Match.
“Gurupatwant Singh Pannun has threatened the India and England teams to cancel the match in Ranchi. He also urged the CPI (Maoist) to create disturbance in a bid to cancel the match,” PTI quoted Deputy Superintendent of Police, Hatia, PK Mishra as saying.
“An FIR has been lodged against him at Dhurwa police station under the IT Act and an investigation has been initiated,” Mishra said.
Chandan Kumar Sinha, Senior Superintendent of Police Ranchi, told the Times of India that measures have been taken to beef up security in the state capital, and around 1,000 police personnel have been deployed to provide security.
The fourth Test between India and England will commence on February 23 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.
Pannun is a Canadian and American citizen who works as the general counsel of Sikhs for Justice. The pro-Khalistan lawyer has been a key organiser of nonbinding referendums that seek a separate Sikh state – held in countries with large Indian diasporas such as Canada, the UK and Australia.
He has been on the National Investigation Agency’s radar since 2019 when the anti-terror federal agency registered its first case against the “designated individual terrorist”, who has been spreading fear and terror in Punjab and elsewhere in the country through threats and intimidation tactics.
Non-bailable warrants of arrest were issued against Pannun by the Special NIA Court on February 3, 2021, and he was declared a “Proclaimed Offender” on November 29 last year.
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Published: 21 Feb 2024, 05:12 PM IST