Haryana Vidhan Sabha winter session from Dec 18

New Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS) Every year, ahead of November, the proscribed terror group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), is in the news as it seeks to observe the Sikh genocide month.

The connection between November and the Khalistan issue stems from the November 1984 genocide that took place following the assassination of Indira Gandhi on October 31 1984.

Pro-Khalistan elements in Canada, the US and the UK organise events to draw attention to their demands for a separate Punjab nation.

Last November, SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun issued threats against the Ram Mandir and other Temples. The same month, he had warned people not to fly Air India between November 1 and 19. This year, he has threatened Diljit Dosangh’s Aura 2025 concert scheduled for November 1 in Melbourne.

While the Australian police have raised the alert levels, Indian Intelligence officials have also warned that Khalistan elements could try and carry out attacks in India.

Officials say that the primary objective of the SFJ this year is to undermine India’s cultural diplomacy abroad. They also want to drive fear into the minds of Sikhs who do not subscribe to the Khalistan view.

Hence, by threatening such events, the SFJ wants the Sikhs to stay away from such events. The agencies say that the SFJ has started several groups on social media and messaging platforms.

There is a massive amount of funding coming in from several groups that are linked to the SFJ. There are encrypted Telegram channels through which propaganda is being spread and hate is instilled. The same channels are also being used to collect funds.

The agencies have also learnt that these channels are operated through the servers in the US and Canada, which help the SFJ mask its activities. The SFJ and other pro-Khalistan groups are using the 1984 genocide as an emotional issue to draw the Sikhs into their fold.

This is, however, not a recent phenomenon, and such groups have been carrying out activities such as this for a long time. However, this year, the agencies say that the SFJ and its affiliated groups are desperate, and things could well spiral out of control.

The SFJ has not used foreign soil for the first time to create a ruckus. It has done so many times through the various referendums it has called for. Such events have taken place in Australia, the US, the UK and Canada in the past.

An official said that although many threats in the past have turned out to be damp squibs, one cannot take a chance. The Melbourne police have raised the alert levels from moderate to high.

Further, one must also take into account that these groups are becoming extremely frustrated that their movement has not kicked off in India. This would mean that there could be a reckless act that could be attempted.

In Australia, there are reports that the SFJ and its affiliated groups could use a lone actor to carry out an attack or disrupt the show. These developments also come in the wake of the ISI seeking to go all throttle on the Khalistan movement.

It recently tasked the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) to be the umbrella organisation for all other Khalistan terror groups.

The ISI felt that this would ensure better coordination, and activities would be better streamlined. While the BKI would oversee the ground activities, the SFJ’s role is to issue threats, encourage recruitment, collect funds and run the propaganda for the Khalistan movement.

The ISI, which has sheltered these elements for long, has now decided that it is time to go all out, at least in Punjab for now.

–IANS

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Wayanad, Jan 25 (IANS) The Kerala Police in Kalpetta on Saturday recorded the arrest of Sulthan Bathery Congress MLA I. C. Balakrishnan in a suicide abetment case of party treasurer N. M. Vijayan and his son.

While Balakrishnan is the first accused in the case, Wayanad district Congress president N. D. Appachan and local party leader K. K. Gopinathan, the other accused were arrested and released on bail two days back.

Incidentally, the three leaders last Saturday got anticipatory bail in this case. Had the leaders not secured anticipatory bail, the Police were certain to arrest all three as the Crime Branch and the Vigilance wing of the Kerala Police have both registered cases and the probe is on.

The court after granting anticipatory bail told the three leaders to see that they should present themselves before the probe officials whenever asked and should not influence the case in any manner.

Reacting to the verdict, Appachan said he is clear and confident that he has done no wrong.

N. M. Vijayan and his son were found dead at their home, with a suicide note alleging that funds collected from various candidates for appointments in cooperative banks had been misappropriated.

The note named Congress leaders, including Balakrishnan, Appachan, and Gopinathan, as recipients of these funds and mentioned loans taken to repay the misused amounts.

The suicide note addressed to Congress leaders, instructed N. M. Vijayan’s other son, Vijesh, to deliver it to the Wayanad district police chief after ten days.

The surfacing of the letter prompted demands from CPI-M leaders for the immediate arrest of the Congress leaders.

The entire Congress top brass was moving cautiously in this case as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is also the Home Minister, directed swift police action, leading to the registration of an FIR against the Congress leaders.

–IANS

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Guwahati, Nov 28 (IANS) Assam has emerged as the first state in the country to operationalise the Measurement Collection Unit (MCU) mechanism under the Criminal Procedure Identification Act, 2022, in a significant step towards strengthening scientific crime detection and modernising policing practices.

The introduction of the MCU system marks a major shift from conventional methods of record-keeping, as it enables law enforcement agencies to gather and preserve a comprehensive range of biometric and physical data of accused persons through advanced forensic techniques.

Additional Director General of Police Munna Prasad said the new facilities would play a critical role in preventing repeat offences and improving the accuracy of criminal identification.

“The MCU initiative ensures that habitual offenders are effectively tracked and brought to justice. It is an important milestone in our journey towards scientific policing,” he said on Friday.

Till now, police databases were largely limited to digitised fingerprints. Under the new system, authorities will additionally record retina scans, body measurements and other unique biometric attributes, creating a more detailed and tamper-proof profile of suspects.

This information will be stored in a secure digital network that can be accessed by law enforcement agencies across various states, significantly strengthening inter-state coordination during investigations.

Senior Police officials said that MCU facilities have already been established at all district headquarters in Assam, placing the state at the forefront of forensic technology integration in India.

The networked system will allow rapid cross-verification of identities, speeding up investigations and reducing the scope for errors.

The MCU mechanism is expected to be particularly effective in cases related to crimes against women and children.

DNA profiles of accused persons in such cases will be preserved as part of the database, enabling more efficient investigation of both current and future cases involving repeat offenders.

Sources within the police department indicated that the system would enhance transparency, streamline investigative procedures and strengthen the overall reliability of criminal identification.

With the implementation of this initiative, Assam has taken a decisive step towards building a more technology-driven, accountable and efficient law enforcement framework, aimed at deterring recurring criminal activity and improving public safety across the state.

–IANS

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