Khalistani separatist and dual US-Canadian citizen said on Tuesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation () and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had alerted him about a fresh credible threat to his life.
The alleged warning comes as is set to be sentenced later this year in connection with a 2023 plot to kill Pannun. The Indian national pleaded guilty in the murder-for-hire case after admitting that he paid $15,000 to a person whom he believed was a hitman.
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Khalistani terrorist claims threat to life
Pannun, designated a terrorist by India, said FBI agents who met him on August 12 advised him against travelling until the threat was addressed. He said the agents also asked him to inform the agency in advance if he planned to travel, news agency AP reported.
He said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police also contacted him by phone on Tuesday with a warning. However, neither agency shared details of the alleged plot.
Pannun also reportedly said the warning was issued under the terms of a “Duty to Warn” law in the United States, which requires US intelligence and law enforcement agencies to alert people when they uncover credible and specific threats involving murder, serious bodily harm or kidnapping.
‘Unfazed and undaunted’, says Pannun
Pannun, who heads the banned pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice, told AP in a phone interview that efforts to silence him had left him “unfazed and undaunted”.
“I’m not afraid of their death threats,” he said.
He said he hoped the administrations of US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would take up the issue with the Indian government.
Pannun also claimed that Canadian law enforcement officials had issued “Duty to Warn” advisories to Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the weeks before Nijjar was killed on June 18, 2023, in Surrey, British Columbia.
He claimed the repeated threats had strengthened his belief that his campaign and public statements were having an impact. “I’m going to continue, even at the cost of a bullet,” he said.
India rejects link to Pannun murder plot
Canada had accused India of being linked to both Nijjar’s killing and the alleged plot against Pannun. India has denied involvement in both cases.
The US indictment also alleged that an “Indian government employee” was involved in a plan to kill Pannun.
The ministry of external affairs, however, described the issue as a “matter of concern” and said it was “contrary” to government policy.
“As regards the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court, allegedly linking him to an Indian official — this is a matter of concern. This is also contrary to government policy,” then-MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a press briefing.
With inputs from agencies
