Washington: Canadian law enforcement recently disrupted a plot to assassinate a Sikh activist, leading to multiple arrests in Brampton, Ontario. This operation underscores the ongoing tension surrounding Sikh activists in North America, many of whom advocate for Sikh independence.
According to Kashmir Media Service, on November 3, 2023, a police raid resulted in the detention of five men on firearms charges, coinciding closely with a high-profile Sikh wedding in Toronto that was expected to attract numerous activists, including New York-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The individuals arrested were identified as Swaranpreet Singh, Jobanpreet Singh, Maninder Singh, Ramanpreet Singh, and Amandeep Singh, the latter also implicated in the June 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a noted Sikh-Canadian leader.
Canadian media reports suggest a possible link between these arrests and the Indian government. Notably, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that Amandeep Singh’s alleged involvement in Nijjar’s death has been directly associated with directives from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. Moreover, further investigative cooperation between Indian and Canadian intelligence officials has intensified, with meetings reportedly occurring in a third country.
Although the five men arrested in Brampton were not charged with planning an assassination at the wedding, the proximity of their arrests to the event and the expected attendance of Pannun have raised suspicions about potential targeting. Pannun himself, having declined to attend the wedding last minute, criticized Canadian authorities for their lack of transparency, suggesting it allows “Indian agents to operate with impunity in Canada.”
This incident follows the extradition of Nikhil Gupta from the Czech Republic to the U.S., where he faces charges related to a separate attempt on Pannun’s life in New York, indicating a pattern of threats against Sikh activists outside India.
The ongoing investigations and diplomatic communications continue to reveal the complex and sensitive nature of international relations concerning the Sikh diaspora’s activism and the responses it provokes.