Prominent Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun revealed on Tuesday that both the FBI and the RCMP have alerted him to a fresh credible threat against his life. This warning comes as another individual is awaiting sentencing later this year for a 2023 assassination plot targeting Pannun.
Pannun, serving 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 mitigated. They instructed him to inform the agency in advance if any travel is necessary. Additionally, the RCMP contacted Pannun by telephone on the same day, although no specific details about the threat were provided by either law enforcement entity. Requests for comments from both agencies remained unanswered.
In the United States, there exists a “duty to warn” protocol that mandates American intelligence and law enforcement agencies to notify individuals upon discovering credible and specific threats of murder, severe bodily harm, or kidnapping against them.
Sikhs for Justice has been actively organizing referendums across the global Sikh diaspora, advocating for an independent nation-state named Khalistan. A recent referendum took place in Indianapolis, with another scheduled for Edmonton on October 18, sparking tensions with the Indian government.
Inderjeet Singh Gosal, now leading the Sikhs for Justice movement in Canada following the tragic death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, received a warning letter on August 14 about a potential threat. Gosal was appointed by Pannun to take over after Nijjar was fatally shot in a Sikh temple parking lot in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.
Four Indian nationals are awaiting trial in connection with Nijjar’s killing after being apprehended in Edmonton and Ontario in the spring of 2024. Earlier this summer, federal officials in California charged two individuals with orchestrating the assassination, although they are not currently in U.S. custody.
The latest threat to Pannun emerges as Indian national Nikhil Gupta awaits sentencing on November 20 in Manhattan federal court for his involvement in a 2023 assassination plot against Pannun. Gupta had pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal sentencing guidelines suggest Gupta could face a minimum of two decades behind bars.
In a recent phone interview, Pannun, who obtained Canadian citizenship in the early 2000s and resides in Ontario, expressed his resilience in the face of these threats. He urged both the U.S. and Canadian governments to address Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding threats to their sovereignty, accusing the Modi administration of acting with impunity.
Despite the ongoing threats, Pannun remains resolute in his advocacy efforts, stating, “I’m going to continue, even at the cost of a bullet.”