The cybercrime police station in Ahmedabad has registered an FIR against Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, the US-based founder and lawyer of the banned Sikhs for Justice, after several residents reported receiving calls with a recorded message from a foreign number issuing threats to the upcoming cricket World Cup. The threats were allegedly in response to the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
Pannu, a Khalistan separatist, was designated an ‘individual terrorist’ by India on July 1, 2020.
As per the FIR, the calls with the country code +44 (United Kingdom) with a voice clip containing threats against the World Cup matches in Ahmedabad from October 5 were made “to spread terror and rumours”. The calls are recorded in “Pannu’s voice”, a police officer told The Indian Express. The messages threatened to “storm Ahmedabad with Khalistan flag” to avenge the killing of Nijjar, which has resulted in a strain in ties between India and Canada.
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Pannu has been booked under sections related to the charges of conspiracy and spreading hatred under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Information Technology Act.
“On Thursday, the police noticed that a +44 (United Kingdom) phone number has been calling different persons in which a pre-recorded voice clip is running. The citizens in the city after receiving the calls reported the criminal threats to the police,” as per the FIR.
The FIR based on Sub-Inspector H N Prajapati’s complaint was lodged under sections 121 (A) (conspiring to wage war against the Government of India), 153 (A) (hate speech and punishes any form of action or communication that leads to disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will among people), 153 B(1) (C) (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 501 (1) (B) (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC; Section 66 (F) (cyber terrorism) of the IT Act; and Section 161 (B) (terrorist act) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
