Farmers Movement Archive

SFJ case: 16 come under NIA scrutiny

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sought details of the social media accounts, Aadhaar numbers and bank account details of persons who were recently examined by the agency in connection with the ongoing farmers’ agitation. The NIA has so far examined 16 persons in connection with a case registered in December 2020 against Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a foreign-based group banned by the Union Home Ministry in 2019 for advocating secessionist and pro-Khalistani activities in India. While the government has denied that the questioning was related to the ongoing farmers’ agitation, all those who received NIA notices were either associated or had participated in the ongoing protests. Ranjit Singh, 30, of Damdami Taksal, Amritsar, said he was examined by NIA for nine hours on January 21. “The NIA officer asked why I was participating in the farmers’ protest if I did not own or cultivate any land. He took down the details of my social media accounts and bank account. They were cordial to me for eight hours, but in the end said that I have been brainwashed by Khalistani leaders and was too young to be involved in all this,” he said. Mr. Singh said he was a promoter of the Sikh religion and runs a magazine that receives donations from friends in a foreign country. “The bank details show that I have not received more than Rs. 4 lakh from any foreign account in the past eight years. The NIA officers wanted to know if there was a bigger amount that I had received. I told them of the Rs. 1.5 lakh I received, we purchased gloves and books for Rs. 1.30 lakh that we distributed at the Singhu and Tikri border [sites of farmer protests], Rs. 12,000 was spent on petrol for my two vehicles and the remaining Rs. 8,000 is with me. I showed them the bills,” he said. The NIA on January 15 summoned 40 persons to be examined by the agency as “witness”. Only 16 appeared for examination in the end of January. No further questioning has been done, said an NIA official.

The Hindu

2021-02-25

New Delhi