Punjab Police arrest SFJ-linked youths for Khalistani graffiti

Earlier this year, several cases surfaced where Pannu’s supporters tried to spread separatist messages across districts by offering small sums to local youths.

- TARUNI GANDHI

‘The Punjab Police have arrested three individuals linked to the banned organisation Sikhs for Justice (SEJ) for writing pro-Khalistan slogans on the walls of government schools in Bhissiana and Mannawala villages of Bathinda district. Officials said the activity was carried out under the directions of SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, who operates from the United States and has been declared a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

DGP Gaurav Yadav confirmed that the accused have been taken into custody and that preliminary investigations reveal a clear link to foreign funding. “The trio was carrying out anti-national activities at the behest of overseas handlers,” Yadav said, adding that their interrogation has already begun.

Bathinda SSP Amneet Kondal said the accused were in constant touch with one Pawanjit Singh alias Deep Chahal, a close associate of Pannu who coordinates from abroad. The men told police they were paid merely Rs 2,000 for painting the walls with pro-Khalistan slogans. “It is shocking to see how little money it takes to lure vulnerable youth into anti-national propaganda,” the SSP said.

Police sources revealed that these acts were not isolated. Earlier this year, several similar cases surfaced where Pannv’s supporters tried to spread separatist and hatred messages across different districts by offering small sums to local youth. Four FIRs were already filed in such cases, and twelve people have been arrested under provisions of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the UAPA, and sections related to sedition and public disorder.

The Bathinda case mirrors a pattern that has been emerging in Punjab over the past few years, where graffiti and wall slogans are being used to provoke unrest, often under the influence of SFJ’s social media campaigns.