Canada arrests Khalistani terrorist and Pannun key aide Inderjeet Singh Gosal

Gosal, a close aide of separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, rose within the US-based outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) after the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023.

The arrest comes at a time when India and Canada are attempting to reset ties under Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Relations had sharply deteriorated during Justin Trudeau’s tenure, particularly after his allegations linking India to Nijjar’s killing, claims that failed to materialize and drew criticism even within Canada.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met PM Carney at the G7 Summit earlier this year, setting the stage for renewed dialogue.

Following the meeting, top officials from both sides have engaged in efforts to restore normalcy in bilateral relations.

The arrest also comes just days after India’s NSA Ajit Doval and his Canadian counterpart Nathalie G. Drouin met in Delhi, as part of a regular bilateral security dialogue between India and Canada.

The meeting built upon talks held earlier in June between PM Modi and Carney at the G7 summit.

Who is Inderjeet Singh Gosal?

Known as the “lieutenant” of Pannun, Gosal has been a proactive participant in the so-called Khalistan Referendum movement.

He was previously arrested in November 2024 in connection with a violent attack on a Hindu temple in the Greater Toronto Area.

After Nijjar’s killing in British Columbia in 2023, Gosal assumed greater control within SFJ, also serving as Pannun’s personal security officer.

He admitted in a 2025 interview that Canadian police had repeatedly warned him of threats to his life, which he attributed to his role in organizing separatist events.

Khalistan referendum push

The Khalistan Referendum seeks to establish an independent Sikh state. Proponents like Gosal and Pannun argue that the anti-Sikh riots following Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984 were a “genocide,” forcing many Sikhs to flee to Canada.

Pannun, a US-Canadian dual citizen, was designated an individual terrorist by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs in 2020.

His outfit SFJ has also been banned in India. Despite repeated attempts to spread separatist propaganda through events and political outreach, SFJ’s activities have found little traction internationally due to India’s strong diplomatic standing.