WASHINGTON: Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a US-based advocacy group, has accused a senior member of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of offering a $250,000 bounty for the assassination of a US citizen.
The allegation comes just ahead of US Vice President JD Vance’s scheduled visit to India on April 21, 2025.
SFJ, a prominent supporter of the Khalistan movement which advocates for a separate Sikh state, claims the bounty targets its leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
In a letter addressed to Vice President Vance, Pannun condemned the alleged offer, describing it as a clear instance of state-sponsored transnational repression.
The group further emphasised the seriousness of the accusation, arguing that it represents a direct challenge to US sovereignty and national security.
“India’s actions are a blatant violation of American laws and threaten the safety of US citizens,” Pannun wrote in the letter, adding that the bounty constitutes a criminal solicitation for assassination on US soil.
The SFJ has called for immediate intervention from Vice President Vance, urging him to bring up the matter during his visit to India.
The letter also appealed to the Vice President to formally designate the bounty offer as an act of state-sponsored violent transnational repression.
It further called for a public warning to the Indian government that any harm to Khalistan Referendum organisers would result in a range of consequences, including prosecution under US federal law, economic sanctions, and the potential designation of those responsible as foreign terrorist actors.
SFJ's LETTER TO VP VANCE AHEAD OF INDIA VISIT
April 17, 2025
The Honorable Vice President JD Vance
Washington, DC 20500Re:Upcoming Visit to India – April 21, 2025
Sub:India’s Challenge to Trump’s America — Modi’s Close Ally Offers $250,000 Bounty to Behead U.S. Citizen… https://t.co/NY8jUUrgqz pic.twitter.com/f885bSQLcy
— Sikhs For Justice (@SFJ_US_Official) April 18, 2025
Pannun’s letter is a direct rebuke of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, which has been under increasing scrutiny for its handling of domestic dissent and its crackdown on pro-Khalistan activists.
“The United States must stand firm against any foreign government that attempts to infringe upon its sovereignty or the safety of its citizens,” the letter states.
India’s involvement in assassination of Sikh activists
India is facing increasing allegations of involvement in the assassination and assassination plots targeting Sikh activists, particularly those advocating for the creation of a separate Sikh state, Khalistan.
One of the most prominent cases involves the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot outside a Sikh shrine in Surrey, Canada, in June 2023.
Nijjar, a strong proponent of the Khalistan movement, was killed amid increasing tensions within the Sikh diaspora, especially in countries like Canada and the United States, where non-binding referendums on the creation of Khalistan are still being held.
Canadian authorities have been investigating the potential involvement of India’s government in the assassination, though India has denied any participation.
In September 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada was probing the possibility that India’s government was involved in Nijjar’s assassination. India had rejected any involvement in Nijjar’s death.
This issue of transnational repression involving India’s security agencies extends beyond Canada.
In the United States, the Czech Republic extradited Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of participating in a failed murder-for-hire plot against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Gupta, arrested in Prague in June 2023, allegedly worked under the direction of an Indian government operative to assassinate Pannun.
The US Justice Department indicted Gupta in November 2023, accusing him of coordinating the plot with the intent of silencing pro-Khalistan voices abroad.
Gupta reportedly paid $15,000 in advance for the assassination, which was to be carried out by a hitman who was, in fact, an undercover DEA agent.
