WASHINGTON D.C — A U.S.-based Sikh advocacy group has alleged that an Indian diplomat in Canada attempted to hire a contract killer to target a Khalistan referendum organizer.
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) said Canadian intelligence and law enforcement agencies were informed of what it described as a “contract-to-kill” plot against Inderjeet Singh Gosal, a organizer of the group’s non-binding Khalistan referendum campaign. The group said the alleged plan resembles intelligence warnings it believes emerged before the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh activist, in British Columbia.
According to SFJ, a serving Indian diplomat in Ottawa offered $50,000 in cash to hire a hitman to kill Gosal. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has recently offered witness protection to Gosal, the group said, citing what it called an imminent threat to his life. Canadian authorities have not commented publicly on the claims.
SFJ’s general counsel, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, said the group decided to make the allegations public “to prevent another assassination of a pro-Khalistan Sikh on Canadian soil.”
Pannun also said SFJ believes multiple Canadian security agencies, including the RCMP, have assessed intelligence related to the alleged plot. He said the information was relayed to senior government officials, including the offices of Prime Minister Mark Carney, Foreign Minister Anita Anand, and the Minister of Public Safety.
He further alleged the situation reflects what SFJ views as inadequate pressure on India by Canada. “Gosal’s contract-to-kill plot is the direct outcome of Prime Minister Carney opening trade talks with Modi without demanding accountability,” Pannun said.
The group also called on its supporters to monitor public appearances by Indian High Commissioner Dinesh Patnaik in Canada, claiming such steps are necessary to “ensure no further attempts” to target Sikh activists. There is no independent evidence supporting SFJ’s claims.
In a recent protest, SFJ supporters burned an effigy of Patnaik in Canada. The group said the act was meant to highlight what it describes as a pattern of Indian government repression abroad.