New York: Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has claimed that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have warned him about a new “credible threat” to his life. The claim comes as an Indian national accused in an earlier alleged plot to assassinate Pannun in the United States awaits sentencing later this year.
Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen and general counsel of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), said FBI agents visited him on August 12 and advised him not to travel until the threat is resolved. He said that if he does need to travel, he has been asked to inform the FBI about his plans in advance.
Pannun further claimed that the RCMP contacted him by telephone on Tuesday and issued a similar warning. Neither the FBI nor the Canadian police disclosed details of the alleged threat, and requests for immediate comment from the agencies were not answered, according to the Associated Press report.
The latest warning has revived international attention on the security concerns surrounding Pannun, particularly because of the ongoing US criminal case involving Nikhil Gupta, who has pleaded guilty to charges linked to an alleged 2023 murder-for-hire plot against him.
FBI allegedly advises Pannun not to travel
Pannun said FBI agents visited him on August 12 and informed him that he faced a credible threat.
According to his account, the agents advised him not to travel while the threat remained unresolved. If travel became necessary, he said he had been instructed to notify the FBI beforehand.
The warning is significant because US law enforcement agencies can issue “Duty to Warn” notifications when authorities become aware of credible and specific threats involving serious violence, including murder, severe bodily harm or kidnapping.
However, the FBI has not publicly disclosed the nature of the alleged new threat. It is therefore not independently clear who may have been behind it, where the alleged plot originated or whether an attack was imminent.
The absence of publicly released details means that the claims regarding the new threat remain based primarily on Pannun’s account.
RCMP also reportedly issues warning
Pannun said the RCMP contacted him by telephone on Tuesday and warned him about the alleged threat.
The Canadian warning adds another layer to the security concerns surrounding the US-Canadian citizen, who has been a prominent advocate of the Khalistan movement and the creation of a separate Sikh state.
As with the FBI warning, Canadian authorities have not publicly provided details of the alleged plot.
The lack of official information makes it difficult to establish the exact nature of the threat or whether the warnings issued by the two agencies relate to the same alleged plan.
The authorities’ decision to warn Pannun nevertheless indicates that security agencies are treating the information seriously enough to communicate directly with him.
Warning comes before Nikhil Gupta sentencing
The latest development comes as Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, awaits sentencing in a US federal case concerning an alleged 2023 plot to assassinate Pannun.
Gupta pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges in February. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20 in Manhattan federal court. (AP News)
US prosecutors have alleged that Gupta was involved in a murder-for-hire scheme targeting Pannun. According to the FBI, Gupta was directed by an Indian government employee to arrange the killing.
The alleged plot was disrupted after Gupta unknowingly communicated with an undercover US law enforcement officer who was posing as a potential hitman.
The case has been a major point of contention in relations involving India and the United States.
Pannun’s latest warning comes as the US judicial process in that earlier case moves towards sentencing.
Pannun remains defiant despite warning
Despite the reported warning, Pannun said he was not intimidated by the threats.
In comments reported by the Associated Press, he described himself as “unfazed and undaunted” and said he was not afraid of death threats. He also indicated that he intended to continue his political advocacy.
Pannun has advocated for the creation of a sovereign Sikh state and has described his campaign as one aimed at establishing a separate Punjab in which people of different religions would have equal rights.
The Indian government, however, has designated him a terrorist.
His activities have remained a major source of controversy between India and countries where he operates, particularly the United States and Canada.
Pannun links threat to Khalistan campaign
Pannun has suggested that the continued threats against him are connected to his political activities and advocacy for a separate Sikh state.
He said the latest warning gave him greater confidence that his campaign was having an impact.
The SFJ has promoted the idea of a separate Sikh homeland through its Khalistan Referendum campaign, which India has opposed strongly.
Indian authorities have designated SFJ as an unlawful organisation under India’s legal framework, while Pannun himself has been designated a terrorist by the Indian government.
The competing descriptions of Pannun reflect the sharply different positions taken by India and the organisation he represents.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar case also recalled
Pannun also referred to the case of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another prominent Khalistan activist who was killed in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
Pannun claimed that Canadian authorities had issued a “Duty to Warn” advisory to Nijjar in the weeks before his assassination.
Nijjar’s killing became a major diplomatic issue between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly alleged that there were potential links between Indian government agents and the killing.
India rejected the allegations and called them baseless.
The Nijjar case has remained an important backdrop to discussions about threats against Khalistan activists in North America.
Pannun has now drawn a parallel between the warnings he says he has received and the security concerns that preceded Nijjar’s death.
India-US tensions over earlier alleged plot
The earlier alleged assassination plot against Pannun has also had significant diplomatic implications.
US prosecutors have alleged that an Indian government employee directed Gupta in connection with the planned killing. The Indian government has said it takes the matter seriously and has previously indicated that it would investigate the allegations.
The case remains a matter before the US courts, and Gupta’s sentencing is expected to bring another significant stage in the proceedings.
The US authorities’ allegations concern the actions of individuals and do not, by themselves, establish criminal responsibility on the part of the Indian government as a whole.
The distinction is important as the case continues to have consequences beyond the courtroom.
Details of fresh plot remain unclear
Despite the seriousness of the warning, very little is publicly known about the alleged new threat.
Pannun has said that both US and Canadian authorities warned him, but neither agency has publicly identified a suspect, described a planned attack or explained where the alleged threat originated.
It is therefore too early to establish whether the new warning is connected to the earlier murder-for-hire case or represents a separate alleged plot.
Law enforcement agencies may be withholding information for security and investigative reasons.
The absence of public details also means that the allegations cannot independently be verified at this stage.
Security concerns remain high
The latest warning highlights the continuing security concerns surrounding prominent Khalistan activists in North America.
The deaths and alleged plots involving activists have repeatedly drawn attention to the potential for political disputes surrounding the Khalistan movement to spill into questions of personal security and international relations.
For Pannun, the reported FBI and RCMP warnings mean that authorities in both countries have acknowledged a potential threat serious enough to warrant direct communication.
At the same time, the lack of official details means that the public picture remains incomplete.
A fresh international security concern
The alleged new threat against Pannun comes at a sensitive time, with the earlier US case approaching the sentencing stage and diplomatic tensions over Khalistan-related issues continuing to attract attention.
Pannun says he intends to continue his campaign despite the warnings. Meanwhile, US and Canadian authorities have not publicly disclosed the details behind the alerts.
The immediate priority will be determining the credibility and origin of the alleged threat and ensuring Pannun’s safety while investigations continue.
The development also underlines how the Khalistan issue has evolved beyond a domestic political debate in India into a complex international matter involving security agencies, criminal investigations and diplomatic relations.
As Nikhil Gupta’s November sentencing approaches, the latest warning to Pannun is likely to keep the issue under close scrutiny in India, the US and Canada.