Judge dismisses SFJ's libel case against Tory peer Rami Ranger, but allows Pannun’s claim to proceed

A UK High Court Judge has dismissed a libel case filed by the UK branch of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) against Conservative peer Rami Ranger but allowed a similar claim by US-based SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to go forward.

The £500,000 (₹5.8 crore) libel case relates to a 2021 interview Ranger gave to Pakistan Daily and a tweet in which he alleged that SFJ and Pannun were being funded by “the enemies of India.” Ranger, who also heads the British Sikh Association, was quoted saying they were spreading false claims of atrocities in Punjab to collect money from gurdwaras.

The article, published on 30 November 2021, was titled “Lord Ranger questions faith, funding of Sikh separatist leader.”

Both SFJ UK and Pannun — a New York-based lawyer designated a terrorist by India — argued the article damaged their reputations. They claimed it falsely implied they were funded by Pakistan and its intelligence agency ISI, and that Pannun was misleading the public for financial gain.

Judge Justice Jay called the case a “storm in a teacup” and dismissed SFJ UK’s claim entirely, noting the article only referred to the US-based SFJ, not its UK branch. He rejected the argument that readers would infer involvement of SFJ UK.

Regarding the reference to “enemies of India,” the judge said it is widely known that Pakistan and India are adversaries but added that there was no mention of the ISI or any claim that the individuals were its agents. He ruled that being funded by Pakistan, even if true, is not necessarily defamatory.

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