Khalistan Activist Survives Attack; CBI Extradites Nabha Jailbreak Accused

On 11 Aug, Satinder Pal Singh Raju, a close associate of slain Khalistan advocate Hardeep Singh Nijjar, survived an alleged assassination attempt. A pickup truck he was traveling in was sprayed with bullets near San Francisco. Raju, an active organizer of Khalistan referendums, was involved with Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) in organizing across North America (SDW Vol 2 Issue 6, Story 4). Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, General Counsel to SFJ, accused the Indian govt. of ‘continuing with its policy of transnational repression to violently suppress the global Khalistan Referendum campaign seeking liberation of Panjab from Indian occupation.’ Raju is one of several victims of attempted assassinations in the Diaspora, with the home of Simranjeet Singh in Surrey, BC also the target of a shooting on 1 Feb. Singh, a prominent Sikh activist and friend of slain Khalistan advocate Hardeep Singh Nijjar was unscathed, and Surrey Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were able to apprehend and charge two suspects in the shooting. Another activist, Inderjit Singh Gosal, in Brampton, ON, was also targeted. Meanwhile in India, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) facilitated the return of Ramanjit Singh, also known as Romy, a key accused in the 2016 Nabha jailbreak, from Hong Kong to India. The jailbreak, which occurred on 27 Nov 2016, allowed six individuals to escape. Panjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav confirmed the extradition on social media platform X, alleging that Romy had been in contact with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and other escaped prisoners. Harminder Singh Mintoo and Kashmir Singh Galwadi were among those that escaped. With Mintoo passing in 2018, Galwadi is still at large.