New Delhi: Inderjeet Singh Gosal, the coordinator for a referendum on “Khalistan” in Canada, has been arrested on firearm charges, days after Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with his Canadian counterpart Nathalie G. Drouin in New Delhi.
A key aide to the Indian-designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Gosal, wanted by India, was detained by Ontario Provincial Police officers in Whitby Friday and presented before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice Monday.
The arrest of Gosal marks a potential shift in Ottawa’s handling of Sikh separatism in Canada, which has long been an irritant in ties with India.
Gosal, 36, has been acknowledged by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) as a coordinator for a referendum for the creation of a separate Sikh nation in the state of Punjab, called ‘Khalistan’, taking over from Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an India-designated terrorist, who was killed outside a gurdwara in British Columbia in June 2023.
The killing of Nijjar led to ties between India and Canada hitting a historic low. Then, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that there are “credible allegations” linking Indian government officials with the killing of Nijjar in September 2023. In October 2024, India withdrew its High Commissioner from Ottawa and expelled five other diplomats, as well as six Canadian diplomats, including Acting High Commissioner Stewart Wheeler.
New Delhi has consistently maintained that it has no links to the killing of Nijjar, highlighting that not a shred of evidence has been shared by Ottawa to date.
However, under Prime Minister Mark Carney, ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have slowly stabilised. Both countries announced the appointment of High Commissioners last month. At the same time, Drouin and Doval met publicly for the first time since the contentious meeting in Singapore last October that led to the eventual expulsion and withdrawal of diplomats from both countries.
Following the Singapore meeting last year, Drouin and Deputy Minister David Morrison both shared sensitive material with the Washington Post, which was widely reported by the American newspaper.
“Thursday in India, I met with Mr Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Advisor. We discussed our respective security concerns and committed to non-interference, including refraining from transnational repression. We also agreed on the importance of reciprocal exchange of information and mutual responsiveness,” Drouin said in a statement on the most recent meeting with Doval last week.
Carney invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in Alberta earlier this year, where the two leaders met and agreed to push forward ties between the two countries.
Who is Inderjeet Singh Gosal?
Gosal, a resident of Brampton, Ontario, told Canadian news outlet Global News earlier this month that he had been warned by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of facing a threat to his life following his takeover of leading the separatist referendums.
The Sikh separatist has been offered police protection prior to his arrest but refused, according to his comments to Canadian media. According to media reports, Gosal also has links to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), a designated terror outfit recognised by both India and Canada.
Last year, Gosal was arrested by Peel Regional Police in connection with violent clashes at a Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, while a consular camp was being held by the Indian Consulate in Toronto. The attack on the temple came days after the festival of Diwali, and was widely condemned across the Canadian political spectrum. However, at the time, PM Trudeau made no mention of Sikh separatists in his statement.
Gosal is considered to be a close associate of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and was also reportedly the personal security officer for Pannun when the leader of the SFJ was in Canada.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)