Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun revealed on Tuesday that both the FBI and the RCMP have cautioned him about a fresh, credible threat to his life. This warning comes as another individual awaits 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 recommended that he inform the agency before making any travel plans. Additionally, Pannun, a citizen of both the U.S. and Canada, received a warning from the RCMP over the phone on the same day. However, no specific details regarding the threat were provided by either law enforcement agency.
In the U.S., there exists a “duty to warn” protocol that mandates American intelligence and law enforcement agencies to notify individuals when credible and specific threats of murder, severe bodily harm, or kidnapping are identified.
Sikhs for Justice has been spearheading a series of referendums worldwide within the Sikh diaspora, advocating for an independent nation-state known as Khalistan. Recently, a referendum was held in Indianapolis, with another scheduled for Edmonton on October 18, causing tensions with the Indian government.
Inderjeet Singh Gosal, now leading the Sikhs for Justice movement in Canada following the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was also notified of a threat via a letter on August 14. Gosal was appointed by Pannun to succeed Nijjar, who was killed in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023.
The Nijjar killing led to the arrest of four Indian nationals in Edmonton and Ontario in the spring of 2024. Two individuals in California were charged by federal officials earlier this summer for orchestrating the killing, although they are not currently in U.S. custody.
Meanwhile, Nikhil Gupta of 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 contacted an undercover officer posing as a hitman during the attempted assassination. Gupta pleaded guilty to murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, facing a minimum of two decades in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.
In response to the threats, Pannun, who became a Canadian citizen in the early 2000s and resides in Ontario, expressed resilience and determination. He urged the U.S. and Canadian governments to address Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India regarding threats to their sovereignty, emphasizing that the threats only strengthen his resolve and conviction in his advocacy efforts.
Pannun affirmed his unwavering commitment to his cause, stating, “I’m not intimidated by their threats. I will persist, even in the face of danger.”