NIA summons 40 persons to be examined as ‘witnesses’ in fresh case against Sikhs for Justice

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned round 40 persons to be examined as ‘witnesses’ in a fresh case registered against the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a foreign-based group that advocates secessionist and pro-Khalistani actions in India.

A senior authorities official mentioned the summons have been served to “ascertain details relating to the investigation”. The notices despatched on January 15 embody these despatched to a farm chief, a TV journalist, a cable TV operator, vacationer bus proprietor, an actor, a candy store proprietor and different businessmen, who’ve been requested to seem on the NIA’s Delhi headquarters from January 18-21.

The notices have been issued below Section 160 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)-Police officer’s energy to require attendance of witnesses in FIR no 40/2020 below varied Sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

When requested that some farmer leaders engaged in a dialogue with the Centre have additionally acquired summons, the official mentioned, “They need to be examined as witnesses to ascertain details of the investigation. A number of people have been called and we are not aware about their profession or they are involved in farmers agitation or if they are engaged in dialogue with the government.”

Last week, the Supreme Court had suspended the implementation of the three farm legal guidelines till additional discover and appointed a committee to resolve the problem. The farmers’ unions have to this point held 9 rounds of discussions with two Union Ministers — Narendra Singh Tomar and Piyush Goyal — which have remained inconclusive. The leaders raised the problem of assorted authorities companies sending notices to folks related to the agitation with the Ministers.

The Hindu spoke to among the persons summoned by the NIA.

Jasveer Singh Muktsar, a journalist with the U.K.-based TV channel KTV who has been masking the protests at Delhi border mentioned, “I have been asked to appear before the NIA on January 18. I shall be going there with my legal team. I do not know why I have been summoned. I am a journalist covering the protest.”

Nobeljit Singh, a garments store proprietor from Hoshiarpur who has additionally been requested to seem on January 18, mentioned. “I have been at the forefront to protest against the three black laws — whether it was staging a sit-in at toll plazas or protesting against BJP leaders. I have also been to Singhu border and the NIA notice reflects the Centre’s oppressive policies.”

Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who campaigned for BJP’s Sunny Deol in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency throughout the 2019 normal elections has been summoned to seem on Sunday.

Ranjit Singh of the Damdami Taksal, Amritsar, mentioned he and his buddies have organised a number of langars (meals stalls) at Tikri and Singhu border and likewise distributed books and different gadgets there. “I and 16-17 other young leaders have also received notices. We have no connection with the SFJ. This is a ploy to implicate us in a false case. I agree that we accept donations to organise langars but that is from friends and known people. We returned from Delhi only last week,” he mentioned.

Pardeep Singh, a dairy farm proprietor from Ludhiana, mentioned he was among the many first lot to attain Delhi’s border on November 26 and stayed there for a month. “I paid from my own pocket to participate in the protest. In Punjab all villages have families living in foreign countries and they might be sending money. Is it a crime? While no action is taken against BJP leaders for giving hate speeches, minority communities are targeted. We have a right to protest peacefully. Our actions did not lead to any violence. Then why summons under UAPA?” He mentioned he acquired the summons on WhatsApp and can seem earlier than the company on Sunday.

The NIA registered a fresh case against the SFJ on December 15 the place it alleged that enormous quantities of funds being collected by Khalistani terrorist outfits are being despatched by way of NGOs to pro-Khalistani parts based mostly in India. The FIR mentioned designated terrorists such as Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Paramjeet Singh Pamma, Hardeep Singh Nijjar and others spearheaded campaigns to accumulate large funds for on-ground marketing campaign and propaganda against the federal government of India that features staging demonstrations against Indian missions in the U.S., the U.K., Canada and Germany.

The SFJ was first banned in 2019 by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and on authorities’s request Twitter had taken down the account of Pannun. In the previous 5 years, 14 instances have been registered against the SFJ the place greater than 40 folks have been arrested.

Farmers from Punjab and Haryana have been main the protest against the three farm legal guidelines handed by the Modi authorities in September. Large teams of farmers and their households have been sitting in protest at Delhi’s border since November 26.