Prominent Sikh separatist Pannun says RCMP, FBI have contacted him regarding a credible threat

The Associated Press

· Posted: Aug 26, 2026 7:25 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Prominent Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said Tuesday that the FBI and the RCMP have warned him that he faces a new credible threat to his life, even as another man faces sentencing later this year for a 2023 death plot against him.

Pannun, general counsel for Sikhs For Justice, said he was warned by FBI agents who visited him Aug. 12 that he should not travel until the threat is resolved, and, if he does, the agency should be notified in advance of his plans.

Pannun, a dual U.S. and Canadian citizen, said the RCMP warned him by telephone on Tuesday, though neither law enforcement agency gave any details about the uncovered plot. Messages seeking comment from both agencies were not immediately returned.

In the U.S., a "duty to warn" protocol obligates American intelligence and law enforcement agencies to notify individuals when they discover credible and specific threats against them of murder, severe bodily harm or kidnapping.

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Sikhs for Justice has organized a series of referendums through the Sikh diaspora around the world, angering the Indian government by pushing for an independent nation-state called Khalistan. One was held in Indianapolis 10 days ago, with another planned for Edmonton on Oct. 18.

CBC News recently reported that Inderjeet Singh Gosal — who leads the Sikhs for Justice movement in Canada following the 2023 shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar — received a letter on Aug. 14 warning him of a threat. The RCMP had first contacted Gosal by phone.

Gosal was appointed by Pannun to succeed Nijjar, who was killed in a Sikh temple parking lot in Surrey, B.C., on June 18, 2023.

Four Indian nationals await trial in connection with the Nijjar killing after being arrested in Edmonton and Ontario in the spring of 2024. Federal officials in California charged two men earlier this summer with ordering the killing, though neither man is in U.S. custody.

Gupta awaits sentencing

The new threat for Pannun comes as Nikhil Gupta of India awaits a Nov. 20 sentencing in Manhattan federal court after pleading guilty earlier this year in connection with plotting in 2023 with others to assassinate Pannun.

The FBI has said Gupta was directed by an Indian government employee to carry out the killing. When Gupta tried, he unwittingly communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman.

Gupta pleaded guilty to murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Federal sentencing guidelines call for Gupta to spend at least two decades in prison.

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Pannun, who obtained Canadian citizenship in the early 2000s and has maintained a residence in Ontario, said in a phone interview Tuesday that he was "unfazed and undaunted" by the attempts to silence him.

"I'm not afraid of their death threats," he said.

He called on both the U.S. and Canadian governments to confront Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over threats to U.S. and Canadian sovereignty.

"The Modi government is proceeding under the Trump administration without fear of any consequences," he said.

Pannun said the continued threats give him courage and confidence that his campaign and outspokenness is working.

"I'm going to continue, even at the cost of a bullet."