Farmers Movement Archive

NIA sends more notices, summons Deep Sidhu, Akal Takht ex-jathedar

JALANDHAR: More people, including Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and former Akal Takht jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode, revealed on Saturday that they had been sent notices by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a case registered in Delhi by NIA on December 15, 2020 against Sikhs For Justice under stringent provisions of law, including UAPA and sedition. At least two dozen people in Punjab have been summoned and there is apprehension that the number could go up. All of those summoned have been supporting the ongoing farmers’ agitation. BKU (Rajewal) leader Balbir Singh Rajewal condemned the NIA notices and said people who had been sent notices should not appear before the NIA. He said this would be the first issue the farm unions would take up with the Union government during their January 19 meeting. “These notices reflect that the BJP government is frightened and is now stooping too low to frighten the supporters of the farmers’ protest,” he said while speaking at the Singhu border. Farm leader Baldev Singh Sirsa, who has been participating in meetings with the Union ministers, has also received the NIA notice. Sirsa said it was a clear attempt to intimidate the farmers’ movement and he would not appear before the NIA on January 17 and would first discuss the matter with other union leaders in Delhi. Others who have been sent notices under Section 160 of CrPC to appear before the investigating officer include Gurcharan Singh of Jarikpur village near Rajpura, who treats Beant Singh assassination case convict Jagtar Singh Hawara as his son; Tajinder Singh Randhawa of Amritsar and Gurinder Singh of Mohali, who both work with two web channels; and Jang Singh Ludhiana and social worker Gurpreet Singh ‘Mintu Malwa’ of Jagraon. Initially, four persons had received NIA notices and the matter even figured in the meeting between Union agriculture minister Narendra Tomar and the farm union leaders on Thursday. At least a dozen more people reported that they had been sent the notices by NIA by Saturday. Most of them have been asked to appear before NIA between January 17 and 19. Deep Sidhu’s brother Mandeep Singh had already been sent the notice and the actor also received it on Saturday. The NIA notice mentions that the case has been registered under Sections 124A, 153A, 153B, 120B of IPC and Sections 13, 17, 18, 18B and 20 of the UAPA Act. Apart from SFJ legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, UK resident Paramjit Singh Pamma and Canada resident Hardeep Singh Nijjar have also been named in the case while others are “unknown.”

The Times of India

2021-01-17

Ludhiana