Latest news with #pro-SFJ
Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Key SFJ operative arrested for vandalising Ambedkar's statue
Jalandhar : Punjab Police's state special operation cell (SSOC), Mohali, has arrested Resham Singh, a key operative of the banned Sikh for Justice (SFJ) group, for his involvement in the vandalism of a Dr BR Ambedkar statue in Phillaur and executing a series of Pro-Khalistan graffiti across the state. Resham, a close associate of SFJ's US-based head Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, was apprehended after being on the run since the incident. Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that initial investigations pointed to Resham's involvement in the June 2 vandalism at Nangal in Phillaur. Resham, a resident of Hamidi village in Barnala, was allegedly acting under the directions of Surinder Singh Thikriwal, a wanted criminal in several UAPA cases, and Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, he said. The accused is also accused of defacing public property with pro-Khalistan and pro-SFJ graffiti in multiple districts, including Patiala, Faridkot and Jalandhar. Resham had been involved in spreading inflammatory slogans such as 'Pakistan Zindabad' and 'Khalistan Zindabad' during the Indo-Pak escalation in May 2025, further escalating anti-national sentiments. Foreign funding and anti-national propaganda Investigations have revealed that Resham was receiving foreign funding to carry out his unlawful activities. According to the DGP, Resham was also involved in other anti-national activities and had previously been arrested in two UAPA cases in Karnal (Haryana) and Sangrur for painting anti-national graffiti. The authorities are now investigating his links to international sources that may have funded his actions. Assistant inspector general of police (SSOC) Ravjot Grewal said the police received credible intelligence regarding Resham's role in promoting secession. The SSOC team launched a well-coordinated operation, which led to his arrest from Kharar, where he had taken refuge under the protection of his handler, Surinder Thikriwal. During interrogation, Resham confessed that he was introduced to the SFJ network in 2019 through Harpreet Singh alias Rana, a key figure behind the now-banned media channel 'Politics Punjab.' Rana reportedly connected Singh to prominent SFJ leaders, including Pannu, Bikramjit Singh (USA), and JS Dhaliwal. Following his release from Sangrur jail in May 2024 after serving a two-year sentence, Resham resumed his anti-national activities, now under the influence of Thikriwal, a former terrorist who fled to the US in 2022. Resham was reportedly instructed to record videos of his acts of vandalism and send them to his handlers abroad, who used the footage to fuel secessionist propaganda. Authorities have confirmed that Resham received between ₹8 to ₹10 lakh from foreign handlers to fund his unlawful activities. Investigations continue as police work to identify other individuals involved in the network and assess the extent of their operations.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Terror group Sikhs for Justice operative arrested for vandalising B R Ambedkar's statue near Phillaur, writing ‘Pakistan Zindabad' during conflict
1 2 Mohali: The state special operation cell (SSOC), Mohali, has arrested a key operative of banned separatist outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for vandalism and inciting communal unrest across Punjab, according to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav in a post on X on Wednesday. Resham Singh, a resident of Hamidi village in Barnala, was apprehended in an intelligence-led operation by SSOC officials. According to sources, he was absconding since early June after allegedly vandalising the statue of B R Ambedkar in Nangal village near Phillaur (Jalandhar), on the instructions of Surinder Singh Thikriwal, a US-based fugitive, and SFJ legal counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (in pic), a designated terrorist. Investigators revealed that Resham Singh was actively involved in spreading pro-Khalistan and pro-SFJ graffiti across several Punjab districts, including Patiala, Faridkot, and Jalandhar. During the Indo-Pak border tensions in May 2025, he painted inflammatory slogans such as "Pakistan Zindabad" and "Khalistan Zindabad" on public walls, allegedly to provoke unrest and stoke separatist sentiments. Officials said there is evidence that the accused received foreign funding to carry out these anti-national activities. He has a history of similar offences and was previously booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in Karnal (Haryana) and Sangrur (Punjab). A fresh FIR was registered at SSOC, Mohali, and further investigations are ongoing to identify other operatives and funding channels linked to the SFJ network.
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Key SFJ operative held for vandalising Ambedkar statue, painting pro-Khalistan graffiti in Punjab
Chandigarh, Punjab Police on Wednesday said it has arrested a key operative of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice for allegedly vandalising a statue of B R Ambedkar in Jalandhar and painting pro-Khalistan graffiti at several places in the state. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the accused, Resham Singh, a resident of Barnala district, was arrested by the State Special Operation Cell . Preliminary investigation revealed that Singh vandalised the Ambedkar statue at Nangal in Jalandhar's Phillaur in the first week of June on the directions of US-based Surinder Singh Thikriwal, a criminal wanted in multiple cases registered under the Unlawful Activities Act, and SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the officer said. He said Resham, who is also accused of defacing public property with pro-Khalistan and pro-SFJ graffiti in Patiala, Faridkot, Jalandhar and other districts, was on the run since the Phillaur incident. "During the Indo-Pak escalation in May 2025, he painted inflammatory slogans such as 'Pakistan Zindabad' and 'Khalistan Zindabad' to incite public unrest and promote anti-national sentiments," the DGP said. The evidence also indicates that the accused was receiving foreign funding to carry out these unlawful activities, Yadav said. According to the DGP, Singh was previously arrested in two UA cases registered in Sangrur and Karnal in Haryana for painting anti-national graffiti. Further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages in this case. Sharing details of Singh's arrest, Assistant Inspector General Ravjot Grewal said police teams received reliable inputs about his involvement in painting graffiti on walls and bridges with the aim to incite "secession, armed rebellion, or subversive activities". Based on the inputs and sustained surveillance, the SSOC's Mohali team launched an operation and arrested Singh from Kharar, where the accused had been provided a hideout by his handler Thikriwal, she said. During sustained interrogation, Grewal said, the accused revealed that he was first introduced to the SFJ network in 2019 through Harpreet Singh alias Rana, who was a host on the now-banned media channel 'Politics Punjab', which was operated from the USA. She said Rana was instrumental in connecting Singh to key SFJ members, including Bikramjit Singh , J S Dhaliwal and outfit chief Pannun. The AIG said after being released from the Sangrur jail in May 2024 after nearly two years, Singh resumed his anti-national activities under the influence of Thikriwal, a native of Barnala's Thikriwal village who fled to the US in 2022. The probe has revealed that after each task, Singh used to record videos and send them to his handlers abroad. He has received around ₹8 to 10 lakh from his foreign-based handlers so far, Grewal said.
