Canadian Officer Sues India; Panjab Warriors Distances Itself from Rehal

In October 2024, India added a Canadian Border Services Agency official Sandeep Singh Sidhu alias Sunny to its list of fugitives sought for deportation. India alleged Sidhu was linked to the 2020 assassination of Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a 1990 bravery award winner for action against Khalistani militants in Panjab. On 2 Dec, Sidhu filed a lawsuit in the Ontario court against India’s government. He says he was recklessly made the face of a ploy aimed at embarrassing Canada. Born and raised in British Columbia, Sidhu says he is not a practicing Sikh. The sudden scrutiny forced him into hiding, triggering severe emotional distress. Sidhu is also suing the Canadian government, which he says, failed to defend him from the state-sponsored scheme that forced him into hiding amid calls for his arrest and killing. The case comes at a time when Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is deepening ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government despite mounting evidence of its attacks on Canadians. The lawsuit, which seeks CAD 9M in personal injury damages, alleges that New Delhi spread fabrications about Sidhu to hit back at Ottawa for accusing India of committing violence in Canada. Sidhu was singled out by India because he had a common Sikh name and a visible, uniformed position within the Canadian national security apparatus. The court hearing is set for early 2026. Meanwhile, one of the key figures behind the Panjab Warriors takeover deal in the UK, Gurpreet Singh Rehal, is alleged to have recruited, purchased weapons, and provided finance for Babbar Khalsa and Babbar Akali Lehar, Khalistani militant groups respectively proscribed and sanctioned under UK law. Rehal's UK assets have been frozen by the Treasury and he has been banned as a company director. A UK government statement said, 'Rehal is suspected of belonging to organizations involved in terrorism in India.' In a statement, Morecambe and Panjab Warriors distanced themselves from Rehal. The Panjab Warriors statement said, '(Rehal's) consultancy position carried no strategic, financial or operational authority, and he had no involvement in the ownership or club decision-making' (earlier coverage).