SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh Police investigating the “Tapovan Vidhan Sabha Khalistan flags episode” claim that Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, legal advisor for Sikh for Justice (SFJ) had instigated Harveer Singh and Paramjeet Singh alias Pamma, two accused to commit these offences in lieu of money.
According to the HP police, which released the details of investigation to the media today, angle of radicalization and their relations with radical groups are being probed.
As per the investigation, Pannu had asked them to carry out the above operations and then shoot the video of the same and share it with him.
Later, these videos were made viral by Pannu under the banner of Sikh For Justice. Spot identification and recoveries have been made at the instance of the two accused in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
How They did at Tapovan
The police has received information on 08.05.2022 around 06:15 am at Police Post Yol, District Kangra and verified that some unknown persons had inscribed the words ‘Khalistan’ on the peripheral wall of the premises of the Vidhan Sabha, Tapovan and also tied the flags of ‘Khalistan’ on the adjoining gate in Gurumukhi script. The culprits tied five yellow colored flags/banners on the adjoining gate on which ‘Khalistan’ was written in English.
The police lodged an FIR on the complaint of Ajay Kumar of Ghiyana Kalan tehsil Dharamshala under u/s 153A, 153B IPC & Section 3 of HP Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985.
How SIT Zeroed in on Pannu
DGP constituted SIT headed by Santosh Patial, IPS, DIG (Intelligence & Security). During the course of investigation, it was found that two persons had stayed in Home Stay at Narwana on 07/05/2022 and on the same night they had abruptly checked out from the Home Stay.
As per the statement of Home Stay Owner, he had kept the address proofs and the mobile numbers of those persons in his record.
SIT examined CCTV footages and CDR analysis of the suspected mobile phone numbers came to know that the above suspect persons had travelled on a 2 two wheeler bearing registration No. PB-87-5411 and had stayed in the above Home Stay on the relevant date and time.
They belong to District Rupnagar, Punjab. Accordingly, an advance team headed by Deputy SP rank officer was sent to verify the above facts to District Rupnanagar, Punjab.
Pannu sent Video Message
During the course of investigation, a video message and a letter also went viral on social media wherein one Gurpatwant Singh Pannu (Legal Advisor, Sikh for Justice) claimed that the above act had been carried out at his behest.
SIT accordingly, based on the contents of the above viral message, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu was also named as a co-accused and main conspirator in the present case and section 13 of the Unlawful Practices (Prevention) Act, 1967 was also added.
Police arrested the accused, Harveer Singh, 37, son of Rajinder Singh, resident of H.No 137, Ward No 2, Morinda Distt Rup Nagar, Punjab from his hometown.
SIT interrogated the accused and produced before the Ld Court on 12/5/2022 which put him on remand of 05 days.
How They Did It
The two-wheeler (PB-87-5411), which was used for the commission of the offence, and smart phone were recovered from the accused.
It was revealed by the accused that after the commission of the crime, they had shot the video of the crime scene on the day of occurrence which was shared with Gurpatwant Singh Pannu as per the direction of Pannu above.
DGP said these have been sent to RFSL, Dharamshala for mobile forensics and the result of the same is awaited.
HP police supported by CIA Staff, Distt Rupnagar Punjab SIT got tip of the second accuse on 13-05-22 who was identified as Paramjeet Singh alias Pamma S/o Mehar Singh R/o Village Rurki Hiran PO Lutheri Tehsil Chamkaur Sahib Distt Rupnagar. He was jointly detained by HP Police and CIA Rupnagar team.
Police team headed by Addl SP City Kangra was sent to Chamkaur Sahib Police Station and arrested him. He was on police remand till 16.05.22.
DGP said during the investigation, the scene of crime, the place of stay of both the accused and the shop from where the accused had bought the spray paint were got identified from both the accused. The can of spray paint used by the accused for the commissioning of the crime was also recovered from the bushes near the Vidhan Sabha Complex, Tapovan.
Both the accused were produced before the jurisdictional court on 16.05.22 and police remand has been procured till 19.05.22.
SIT Traced Their Criminal Background
SIT has investigated the background of the two accused. Harveer Singh, originally belongs to village Dummna, Tehsil Morinda, Roop Nagar. He has studied up to 10+2.
He joined Government College Mohali for graduation in Arts but he left in middle of first year itself because he did not clear his compartment in +2.
Harveer can speak Hindi and Punjabi and can understand English to some extent. He is not sure whether he is Hindu Nai or Sikh Nai, reveals SIT investigation.
Harveer is a driver and has a criminal history. In the year 2013, he was booked in an assault case in Police Station Morinda and he remained in jail for a period of three months. About five years back, he remained in jail for about 20 days in Ludhiana in another assault case.
The second accused Paramjeet Singh alias Pamma comes from Rurki Heeran PO Lutheri Tehsil Chamkaour Sahib, Distt Rupnagar, Punjab. Pamma as school dropout ( Class 8th) and Jatt Sikh. He can speak Hindi and Punjabi and can understand English to some extent.
Pamma has a criminal history. He has 06 theft cases against himself. He was booked for three theft cases in a mobile shop, grocery shop and a studio in Police Station Ropar, Punjab. He was involved in a motorcycle theft and booked for the same in Police Station Fatehgarh Sahib.
Pamma was booked in 02 motorcycle thefts in Chandigarh.
For the first time, they hoisted a flag a Khalistan flag/banner at Kharar Ropar Road wherein they took a cloth piece (parna, brown colour) from Paramjeet’s house and painted “Khalistan” in Punjabi with the help of white spray paint. Paramjeet put a banner on a foot-over bridge with a rope and Harveer shot a video of it, which was shared by them with Gurpatwant Singh Pannu.
Second incident took place on 12/04/2022 wherein they bought a cream colour cloth (parna) from a cloth shop from Morinda and Harveer painted “Khalistan” on the banner in Punjabi with the help of a blue colour spray paint.
Later, the duo went to Ropar and tied a banner on a tree near court complex and shot the video of the same and shared it with Gurpatwant Singh Pannu.
Haryana Connection
In Kurukshetra on 29-04-2022, they again brought a white cloth (parna) in Morinda and Harveer wrote” Khalistan” in a Gurmukhi script with the help of spray paint put the banner of Khalistan on the wall of residence of DSP at Kurukshetra and shot the video of the same and shared it with Gurpatwant Singh Pannu.
DGP said the further investigation is on.
