Key SFJ operative arrested for vandalising Ambedkar's statue

Hindustan Times

19-06-2025

Jalandhar : Punjab Police's state special operation cell (SSOC), Mohali, has arrested Resham Singh, a key operative of the banned Sikh for Justice (SFJ) group, for his involvement in the vandalism of a Dr BR Ambedkar statue in Phillaur and executing a series of Pro-Khalistan graffiti across the state.
Resham, a close associate of SFJ's US-based head Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, was apprehended after being on the run since the incident.
Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that initial investigations pointed to Resham's involvement in the June 2 vandalism at Nangal in Phillaur. Resham, a resident of Hamidi village in Barnala, was allegedly acting under the directions of Surinder Singh Thikriwal, a wanted criminal in several UAPA cases, and Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, he said.
The accused is also accused of defacing public property with pro-Khalistan and pro-SFJ graffiti in multiple districts, including Patiala, Faridkot and Jalandhar. Resham had been involved in spreading inflammatory slogans such as 'Pakistan Zindabad' and 'Khalistan Zindabad' during the Indo-Pak escalation in May 2025, further escalating anti-national sentiments.
Foreign funding and anti-national propaganda
Investigations have revealed that Resham was receiving foreign funding to carry out his unlawful activities. According to the DGP, Resham was also involved in other anti-national activities and had previously been arrested in two UAPA cases in Karnal (Haryana) and Sangrur for painting anti-national graffiti. The authorities are now investigating his links to international sources that may have funded his actions.
Assistant inspector general of police (SSOC) Ravjot Grewal said the police received credible intelligence regarding Resham's role in promoting secession.
The SSOC team launched a well-coordinated operation, which led to his arrest from Kharar, where he had taken refuge under the protection of his handler, Surinder Thikriwal.
During interrogation, Resham confessed that he was introduced to the SFJ network in 2019 through Harpreet Singh alias Rana, a key figure behind the now-banned media channel 'Politics Punjab.' Rana reportedly connected Singh to prominent SFJ leaders, including Pannu, Bikramjit Singh (USA), and JS Dhaliwal.
Following his release from Sangrur jail in May 2024 after serving a two-year sentence, Resham resumed his anti-national activities, now under the influence of Thikriwal, a former terrorist who fled to the US in 2022.
Resham was reportedly instructed to record videos of his acts of vandalism and send them to his handlers abroad, who used the footage to fuel secessionist propaganda.
Authorities have confirmed that Resham received between ₹8 to ₹10 lakh from foreign handlers to fund his unlawful activities. Investigations continue as police work to identify other individuals involved in the network and assess the extent of their operations.