A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Punjab’s SAS Nagar (Mohali) has sentenced two men to over five years of rigorous imprisonment for hoisting a Khalistani flag at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Moga in 2020. The convicted individuals, Inderjeet Singh and Jaspal Singh, both residents of Moga, were each fined Rs 16,000 and given five years and six months of imprisonment. They were found guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act.
The incident occurred on August 14, 2020, when the duo allegedly raised a Khalistani flag on the Moga Deputy Commissioner’s office building, a day before Independence Day. Investigations revealed that they were incited by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the general counsel of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), designated as a terrorist by the Indian government.
The accused managed to access the administrative complex, climbed to the top of the building, and replaced the national flag with a saffron-yellow flag displaying ‘KHALISTAN’. They also cut the rope of the Indian tricolour, causing it to fall, and dishonored the national flag. The NIA had previously filed a charge sheet against the convicts and two other arrested individuals, with two absconders based in the United States.
Further investigations revealed that one of the absconders facilitated payments to the convicted individuals for carrying out the act. The agency highlighted a video uploaded by Pannun, where he encouraged people in Punjab and Haryana to hoist Khalistani flags at government buildings, offering monetary rewards for such actions. The NIA emphasized that this conviction demonstrates ongoing efforts to combat activities associated with banned organizations and protect national integrity.
