India’s premier investigative agency has seized the assets of a prominent Sikh separatist closely linked to Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose assassination has triggered a diplomatic dispute between India and Canada.
Indian authorities designated Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer believed to reside in Canada, as a terrorist in 2020. He also faces charges related to terrorism and sedition. He is the founder of the US-based organization Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which had Nijjar as the head of its Canadian chapter before his death in June. SFJ advocates for the creation of an independent Sikh state called Khalistan. India has banned the organization.
This week, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the government of India of potential involvement in Nijjar’s death, leading to a diplomatic crisis. India rejected Trudeau’s claims, leading to reciprocal diplomatic expulsions, and India halted the processing of visa applications from Canadians.
Pannun became involved in the dispute and released a video in which he urged Canadian Hindus to “go back to India,” accusing them of taking a “jingoistic approach” by siding with New Delhi. In an interview, Pannun described Nijjar as a close associate for over two decades and blamed India for Nijjar’s murder.
Heinous Crimes
Following the interview, the Indian government issued an advisory to news networks, asking them not to provide a platform for individuals accused of “heinous crimes.”
Using court orders, India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) confiscated Pannun’s residence in Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab, a Sikh-majority state, and also seized his agricultural land in Amritsar. The NIA accused Pannun of actively encouraging Punjab-based gangsters and youth on social media to advocate for an independent Khalistan, which challenges India’s sovereignty, integrity, and security.
In response, Pannun’s office downplayed the property seizures, emphasizing that the core issue is not Pannun’s assets but the occupation of Punjab, the homeland of Sikhs, and the exploitation of its resources by India.
Sikhism is a minority religion with roots in northern India, influenced by both Hinduism and Islam. The Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh state, gained prominence in the 1980s and was associated with violence, including the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar by Indian forces and the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. While the insurgency has largely subsided, Khalistan advocates are present in the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada, Britain, and Australia, and India continues to outlaw the movement and designate related groups as “terrorist organizations.”
