Key SFJ operative held for vandalising Ambedkar statue, painting pro-Khalistan graffiti in Punjab

Chandigarh: Punjab Police on Wednesday said it has arrested a key operative of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) for allegedly vandalising a statue of B R Ambedkar in Jalandhar and painting pro-Khalistan graffiti at several places in the state.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the accused, Resham Singh, a resident of Barnala district, was arrested by the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC).

Preliminary investigation revealed that Singh vandalised the Ambedkar statue at Nangal in Jalandhar's Phillaur in the first week of June on the directions of US-based Surinder Singh Thikriwal, a criminal wanted in multiple cases registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the officer said.

He said Resham, who is also accused of defacing public property with pro-Khalistan and pro-SFJ graffiti in Patiala, Faridkot, Jalandhar and other districts, was on the run since the Phillaur incident.

"During the Indo-Pak escalation in May 2025, he (Resham Singh) painted inflammatory slogans such as 'Pakistan Zindabad' and 'Khalistan Zindabad' to incite public unrest and promote anti-national sentiments," the DGP said.

The evidence also indicates that the accused was receiving foreign funding to carry out these unlawful activities, Yadav said.

According to the DGP, Singh was previously arrested in two UAPA cases registered in Sangrur and Karnal in Haryana for painting anti-national graffiti. Further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages in this case.

Sharing details of Singh's arrest, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Ravjot Grewal said police teams received reliable inputs about his involvement in painting graffiti on walls and bridges with the aim to incite "secession, armed rebellion, or subversive activities".

Based on the inputs and sustained surveillance, the SSOC's Mohali team launched an operation and arrested Singh from Kharar, where the accused had been provided a hideout by his handler Thikriwal, she said.

During sustained interrogation, Grewal said, the accused revealed that he was first introduced to the SFJ network in 2019 through Harpreet Singh alias Rana, who was a host on the now-banned media channel 'Politics Punjab', which was operated from the USA.

She said Rana was instrumental in connecting Singh to key SFJ members, including Bikramjit Singh (USA), J S Dhaliwal and outfit chief Pannun.

The AIG said after being released from the Sangrur jail in May 2024 after nearly two years, Singh resumed his anti-national activities under the influence of Thikriwal, a native of Barnala's Thikriwal village who fled to the US in 2022.

The probe has revealed that after each task, Singh used to record videos and send them to his handlers abroad. He has received around Rs 8 to 10 lakh from his foreign-based handlers so far, Grewal said.