OTTAWA: Canadian authorities have uncovered a previously unknown plot by alleged Indian intelligence operatives to assassinate a Sikh activist on North American soil, according to reports from US media.
Bloomberg News reports that Indian and Canadian intelligence officials have met multiple times since the arrest of five men in Brampton, Ontario, with indications suggesting possible involvement by India’s external spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
The report also reveals that new information about the plot has led to the departure of additional RAW staff, following the earlier removal of an officer described by India as a “rogue agent” connected to a foiled scheme to murder Sikh activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York.
However, the five men arrested in Brampton have not been charged with conspiring to kill anyone at an upcoming wedding. The gun charges against them have also not been proven in court. The timing of the arrests and the expected attendance of Pannun at the wedding “raise the possibility that he was a target” of the alleged plot, Bloomberg noted.
Pannun declined the wedding invitation at the last minute and expressed frustration with Canadian authorities’ silence on the matter. In an interview with Bloomberg, he criticized Canadian officials for allegedly allowing Indian agents to operate with impunity in Canada, feeling there are no consequences for their actions.
The alleged intermediary in the plot, Nikhil Gupta, was extradited from the Czech Republic to the U.S. last month to face charges.
India has denied any involvement in the assassination plots. The Indian government has designated both Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun as terrorists, while both men assert that they promote an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan through peaceful means.
Indian and Canadian intelligence chiefs have held at least two meetings in a third country to discuss the assassination plots. Additionally, Canada’s national security adviser has engaged in discussions with India’s high commissioner in Ottawa regarding these issues.
The Canadian government has not commented in detail on the ongoing court case involving the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In a statement, Jean-Sébastien Comeau, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, emphasized Canada’s commitment to the rule of law and the protection of its citizens, calling on India to collaborate with Canadian authorities on the investigation.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not respond to a request for comment. Last week, a spokesperson for the Indian foreign ministry accused Canada of applying “different yardsticks” for law enforcement after Canadian police arrested two men over online threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
On November 3, 2023, Canadian police raided a location in Brampton, Ontario, arresting five men on firearms charges. This raid occurred a day before the wedding of the son of a prominent Sikh independence movement figure in the Toronto area. Several well-known Sikh activists, including Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, were expected to attend.
The five men arrested are Swaranpreet Singh (21), Jobanpreet Singh (21), Maninder Singh (22), Ramanpreet Singh (30), and Amandeep Singh. Amandeep Singh is also charged in connection with the June 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh-Canadian activist and president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. Nijjar, a leading advocate for Sikh independence, was shot dead in the Gurdwara parking lot on June 18, 2023.
