Prominent Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun revealed on Tuesday that both the FBI and the RCMP have cautioned him about a credible new threat to his life. This warning comes as another individual is set to be sentenced later this year for a 2023 plot to harm him.
Pannun, who serves as the general counsel for Sikhs For Justice, disclosed that FBI agents visited him on August 12 to advise him against traveling until the threat is resolved. They also instructed him to notify the agency in advance if he chooses to travel. Additionally, Pannun, a citizen of both the U.S. and Canada, received a warning from the RCMP via telephone on the same day. However, no specific details about the threat were provided by either law enforcement agency.
In the United States, there is a “duty to warn” protocol that mandates American intelligence and law enforcement entities to inform individuals upon discovering credible and specific threats of murder, severe bodily harm, or kidnapping against them.
Sikhs for Justice has been organizing referendums across the Sikh diaspora globally, advocating for an independent nation-state named Khalistan. Recently, a referendum was conducted in Indianapolis, and another is scheduled for Edmonton on October 18, sparking tensions with the Indian government.
Following the 2023 shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Inderjeet Singh Gosal assumed leadership of the Sikhs for Justice movement in Canada. Gosal was warned of a threat through a letter on August 14, with initial contact made by the RCMP via phone.
Four individuals from India are awaiting trial in connection with Nijjar’s killing, having been arrested in Edmonton and Ontario in the spring of 2024. Furthermore, federal officials in California have charged two men earlier this summer for orchestrating the killing, even though they are not in U.S. custody.
Meanwhile, Nikhil Gupta from India is awaiting sentencing on November 20 in a Manhattan federal court after pleading guilty earlier this year to involvement in a 2023 plot to assassinate Pannun. Gupta, directed by an Indian government employee, inadvertently interacted with an undercover officer posing as a hitman during his attempt. He pleaded guilty to various charges, including murder for hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering, with federal guidelines suggesting a minimum of two decades in prison for Gupta.
In response to the threats, Pannun, who acquired Canadian citizenship in the early 2000s and resides in Ontario, expressed his resilience in a phone interview on Tuesday. He urged both the U.S. and Canadian governments to address Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding threats to their sovereignty. Pannun asserted that despite the threats, he remains undeterred in his mission and outspokenness, viewing the continued intimidation as a validation of his efforts.
“I’m going to persist, even if it means facing a bullet,” Pannun concluded.
