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 in the wake of another individual awaiting sentencing later this year for a 2023 plot to harm Pannun.
Pannun, who serves as the general counsel for Sikhs For Justice, disclosed that FBI agents advised him on August 12 not to travel until the threat is resolved. They also instructed him to inform 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, neither law enforcement agency provided specific details about the nature of the threat.
In the United States, a “duty to warn” protocol mandates that American intelligence and law enforcement agencies notify individuals when they identify credible and specific threats of murder, severe bodily harm, or kidnapping against them.
Sikhs for Justice has been conducting a series of referendums globally within the Sikh diaspora to advocate for an independent nation-state known as Khalistan. One such event took place in Indianapolis recently, with another 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 by phone on August 14 to warn him of a threat. Nijjar was killed in a Sikh temple parking lot in Surrey, B.C., on June 18, 2023. Four Indian nationals are awaiting trial in connection with Nijjar’s killing after being arrested in Edmonton and Ontario in the spring of 2024. In addition, two men in California face federal charges for ordering the killing, although they are not currently in U.S. custody.
Meanwhile, Nikhil Gupta from India is awaiting sentencing in Manhattan federal court on November 20. Gupta pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges related to a 2023 plot to assassinate Pannun. The FBI has stated that Gupta was instructed by an Indian government official to carry out the assassination, and he unknowingly engaged with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman.
Gupta pleaded guilty to murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal sentencing guidelines stipulate that Gupta could face a minimum of two decades in prison.
Despite these threats and challenges, Pannun remains resolute. He emphasized in a phone interview that he is undeterred by the attempts to intimidate him and urged both the U.S. and Canadian governments to address the threats to their sovereignty posed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. Pannun expressed his determination to continue his advocacy work, stating, “I’m going to continue, even at the cost of a bullet.”