A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mohali has convicted and sentenced two men to five years and six months in jail for hoisting a Khalistani flag on a government building in Punjab’s Moga in 2020 at the instigation of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) general counsel and designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.The convicts, Moga residents Inderjeet Singh and Jaspal Singh, have also been slapped a fine of Rs 16,000 each under various Sections of the IPC, UAPA and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act.The NIA had earlier chargesheeted the duo, along with two other arrested accused and two US-based absconders, Pannun and his associate Rana Singh, alias Harpreet Singh. Pannun and Harpreet (an SFJ member) were declared proclaimed offenders in the case by the court in 2021.Inderjeet and Jaspal hoisted the Khalistani flag at the Moga Deputy Commissioner’s office on August 14, 2020, just ahead of Independence Day celebrations in exchange for a cash reward by the SFJ, an unlawful association.The duo had entered the administrative complex of the DC office and gone to the top of the building where they hoisted the saffron-yellow coloured flag, with the word Khalistan printed on it, on a fixed iron pole.They had also insulted the Indian national flag by cutting its rope, causing it to fall on the ground, after which they dragged the tricolour by the rope. Investigations in the case had revealed that Harpreet had paid Inderjeet and Jaspal to carry out these acts.Pannun had, between August 10 and 11, 2020, uploaded a video on social media urging residents of Punjab and Haryana to hoist Khalistani flags. He had even announced a reward of $1,25,000 for any Indian youth who would hoist a Khalistani flag at Red Fort and $2,500 for hoisting such a flag at any government office.