Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a US-based pro-Khalistan advocacy group, has accused a serving Indian diplomat in Ottawa of attempting to arrange the assassination of Inderjeet Singh Gosal, an organiser of the Khalistan Referendum campaign in Canada. The group claims the diplomat allegedly offered $50,000 in cash to a supposed hitman as part of a “contract-to-kill” plot.
According to SFJ, Canada’s security and intelligence agencies were informed of the alleged threat, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) recently offered Gosal protective measures, including potential witness protection, due to what authorities described as an imminent risk to his life.
Gosal, previously identified in Canadian media as a prominent organiser in the Khalistan Referendum movement, has stated that he received a police “duty-to-warn” notification regarding threats he believes originate from India. India has consistently denied such allegations, particularly in cases involving Sikh separatist activists abroad.
SFJ Warns of Another Potential Killing
SFJ’s General Counsel, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, said the organisation decided to publicly disclose the alleged plot to prevent a repeat of the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia. Nijjar’s assassination led to a deep diplomatic crisis between Canada and India, with Ottawa accusing Indian agents of involvement — a charge New Delhi rejected as baseless.
In its latest statement, SFJ also called on supporters to monitor the movements of India’s High Commissioner in Canada, Dinesh K. Patnaik. Security experts, however, strongly discourage public surveillance and urge individuals to report any credible threat information directly to police.
Allegations Intensify Diplomatic Tensions
The claims surface at a time when Canada–India relations remain fragile. In October 2024, Canada expelled multiple Indian diplomats after linking them to an RCMP investigation into criminal activity related to the Nijjar case. India called the accusations “preposterous” and politically motivated.
Pannun alleged that multiple Canadian security bodies — including the RCMP, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Office, Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s Office, and the Public Safety Minister’s Office — had been briefed on the intelligence related to the alleged assassination plot.
He claimed the situation reflects a broader failure by the Canadian government to demand accountability from India, saying:
“Canadian sovereignty has collapsed to the point where Indian diplomats feel free to orchestrate killings.”
The RCMP has not yet issued a public statement addressing the specifics of SFJ’s allegations.
