India & Canada Meet as Arrests May Point to Another Sikh Murder Plot

Bloomberg on 31 Jul reported that Indian and Canadian intelligence agencies have uncovered potential assassination plots targeting Sikh activists in North America. On 3 Nov 2023, five men were arrested in Brampton, Ontario, on firearms charges. This was a day before prominent Sikh activists, including New York-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, were to attend a wedding in Brampton. (SDW Vol 1 Issue 11, Story 1) The arrested are Swaranpreet Singh, Jobanpreet Singh, Maninder Singh, Ramanpreet Singh, and Amandeep Singh, previously charged in the June 2023 murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia. The timing of the arrests, coinciding with the expected presence of Pannun at the wedding, suggests a possible targeted plot. The arrests and subsequent intelligence exchanges between the two countries included two meetings between Canada’s intelligence chief and an Indian interlocutor in a third country, to discuss the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar (SDW Vol 1 Issue 3, Story 1). A spokesperson for Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) did not directly address a query about the interactions abroad in recent weeks. He said: ‘I can confirm that the director has traveled to India to meet with officials. However, given CSIS’s mandate and specific operational requirements, and in order to protect the safety and security of Canadians, I cannot provide more specific information related to the activities of employees, including the director of CSIS.’ There was no official word on the meetings from the Indian side. This has led to further scrutiny of India’s external spy agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), resulting in staff departures. A senior journalist tweeted, ‘Seems there is some desperation in trying to shield (National Security Advisor of India) Ajit Doval from accountability.’