- विज्ञापन -
New Delhi: The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) Tribunal has found the Centre’s evidence against SFJ compelling aganist Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) as an unlawful organization for five years.
The tribunal, led by Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta of the Delhi High Court, on Friday, found the Centre’s evidence against SFJ compelling. The evidence highlighted activities such as recruiting and radicalizing youth via social media, financing terrorism through smuggling networks to procure weapons and explosives.
The evidence also found that the SFJ was involved in issuing death threats to political figures, including the Prime Minister and Home Minister, and attempting to incite mutiny among Sikh soldiers in the Army.
Justice Mendiratta deemed the evidence credible, particularly SFJ’s connections with international Khalistani terrorist and separatist groups, including Babbar Khalsa International. The tribunal also noted SFJ’s ties to Pakistan’s ISI and their efforts to revive militancy in Punjab.
The Ministry of Home Affairs earlier in a notification issued stated that they have constituted an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal to examine whether there is sufficient cause to extend the declaration of banned pro-Khalistan group SFJ as an unlawful association.
Ministry extended the declaration of SFJ as an unlawful association for another five years, effective from July 10, 2024. The MHA had previously imposed a similar ban on SFJ in 2019.
The Ministry extended the ban under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, citing the group’s involvement in “anti-national and subversive activities aimed at disrupting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.”
According to the Ministry SFJ was engaged in activities prejudicial to India’s internal security and public order, including supporting violent extremism and militancy in Punjab.
