NEW DELHI: India’s anti-terror agency has filed a case against a Sikh leader for threatening not to let flag carrier Air India operate anywhere in the world, while warning its passengers of danger to their lives.
The agency said security forces were on alert after the threats by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who acts as general counsel of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a group campaigning to establish an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan carved out of India.
The case against Pannun has been registered under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 and under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a statement on Monday.
“Pannun threatened that Air India would not be allowed to operate in the world … in his video messages, released on Nov. 4,” it said, adding that he had urged Sikhs not to travel on Air India flights from Sunday, “claiming a threat to their lives”. Pannun’s Sikhs for Justice group did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email address listed on its website.
Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment. –Agencies
