Interpol returns India's red notice against SFJ founder

The Interpol has sent back India's request seeking a Red Notice against founder of pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, with a set of queries, officials said on Wednesday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is the national central bureau of India to liaison with the Interpol, had sent the request of National Investigation Agency seeking Red Notice against Pannun but it was returned with further queries, they said.

Fringe organisation SFJ, run by a few radical Sikhs of foreign nationality in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, etc, was declared unlawful under the provisions of Section 3(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The Centre by its July 10, 2019 notification had declared SFJ unlawful association and had banned it for five years, saying the group's primary objective was to establish an 'independent and sovereign country' in Punjab and it openly espouses the cause of Khalistan and in that process, challenges the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.

This was later upheld by a Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act tribunal headed by Delhi high court Chief Justice D N Patel.

Multiple agencies have filed cases against Pannun who has been declared as an 'individual terrorist' under the fourth schedule of UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Amendment Act).