Prominent Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun revealed on Tuesday that he has been informed by the FBI and the RCMP about a new credible 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 advised him on August 12 to avoid traveling until the threat is addressed. He was also instructed to inform the agency beforehand if he decides to travel. Additionally, Pannun, a citizen of both the U.S. and Canada, received a warning from the RCMP via phone on the same day. However, no specific details about the threat were provided by either law enforcement agency.
In the U.S., there is a “duty to warn” policy that mandates American intelligence and law enforcement entities to notify individuals upon discovering credible and specific threats of murder, severe bodily harm, or kidnapping against them.
Sikhs for Justice has been organizing referendums worldwide within the Sikh diaspora to advocate for an independent nation-state called Khalistan, causing tension with the Indian government. Recently, a referendum was conducted in Indianapolis, and another is scheduled for Edmonton on October 18.
Following the 2023 shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Inderjeet Singh Gosal was appointed by Pannun to lead the Sikhs for Justice movement in Canada. The RCMP contacted Gosal on August 14 to alert him of a threat.
Regarding the Nijjar case, four Indian nationals are awaiting trial for their alleged involvement in the killing. Two individuals in California have been charged by federal officials with orchestrating the murder, although they are not currently 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 in connection with a 2023 plot to assassinate Pannun. Gupta was reportedly instructed by an Indian government employee to carry out the killing, leading to his arrest.
In a statement, Pannun, who acquired Canadian citizenship in the early 2000s, expressed his resilience in the face of death threats, calling on the U.S. and Canadian governments to address the threats to their sovereignty posed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. Despite the ongoing threats, Pannun affirmed his commitment to his cause, stating, “I’m going to continue, even at the cost of a bullet.”