Jharkhand police lodges FIR against Pannun for issuing 'threats' to cancel India-England Test

Ranchi: The Jharkhand Police on Tuesday lodged an FIR against US-based designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun for allegedly issuing threats to cancel the fourth Test match between India and England here.

Pannun, who has been designated as a terrorist by the home ministry, also appealed to the banned CPI (Maoist) through a video uploaded on social media to disrupt the cricket match, officials said.

The fourth Test between India and England will commence from February 23 at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.

"Gurupatwant Singh Pannun has threatened the India and England teams to cancel the match in Ranchi. He also urged the CPI (Maoist) to create disturbance in a bid to cancel the match."

“An FIR has been lodged against him at Dhurwa police station under the IT Act and investigation has been initiated," Deputy Superintendent of Police, Hatia, P K Mishra told reporters.

He said measures have also been taken to beef up security.

Pannun has been on the National Investigation Agency’s radar since 2019, when the anti-terror federal agency registered its first case against the 'designated individual terrorist', who has been spreading fear and terror in Punjab and elsewhere in the country through threats and intimidation tactics.

Non-bailable warrants of arrest were issued against Pannun by the Special NIA Court on February 3, 2021, and he was declared a 'Proclaimed Offender' on November 29 last year.

Tightening its noose around the US and Canada-based Pannun, the NIA had in September 2023 confiscated a house and land of the self-styled general counsel of the outlawed Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) outfit in Punjab's Amritsar and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.