Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Canadian pro-Khalistani separatist leader, has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in a US federal court. The lawsuit, reported by CBC News, seeks damages for an alleged assassination attempt on Pannun, which was reportedly thwarted by US authorities in 2023.
Pannun’s lawsuit also accuses India of being involved in the death of pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The claims, made by the general counsel for the pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice, remain unproven in court. The Indian Embassy in Washington has yet to respond to CBC News’ request for comment.
The lawsuit details that Nijjar was shot 34 times at close range before his attackers fled. Pannun’s legal team, led by Matthew Borden, alleges that a video of Nijjar’s body was sent to Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national charged in connection with a foiled murder-for-hire plot against Pannun. Gupta allegedly instructed undercover agents to kill Pannun, but the plot was thwarted when the hired assassin turned out to be an undercover US agent.
Nijjar was murdered on June 18, 2023, outside a Sikh gurdwara where he served as president. The killing led to charges against four Indian nationals for first-degree murder and conspiracy, straining diplomatic relations between India and Canada.
Pannun’s lawyer argues that holding India’s government accountable in a US court will reinforce the principle of the rule of law, asserting that no individual or government is above the law.