Pannun's key aide Gosal held in Canada

Canadian authorities have arrested Inderjit Singh Gosal, a close aide of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), on multiple firearms-related charges in Ottawa, government sources confirmed here on Monday.

Gosal, 36, is regarded as one of the SFJ’s key organisers in Canada and has been on the radar of Indian and Canadian agencies for his involvement in separatist activities.

The arrest comes just days after Indian and Canadian National Security Advisers held talks in New Delhi, signalling possible cooperation in addressing terrorism concerns. The timing has raised speculation that Ottawa may be taking stronger action against separatist networks amid ongoing diplomatic tension with India.

Gosal was arrested over illegal possession of firearms, though the police have not disclosed the exact number or type of weapons seized. The details of the charges are expected to be formally presented when Gosal is produced before a court later this week.

This is not Gosal’s first encounter with law enforcement. In November 2024, he was detained in connection with a violent incident at a Hindu temple in the Greater Toronto area, where he allegedly led a mob attack on worshippers. Later, he was released under conditions but continued his political activities within the Sikh diaspora.

Gosal is considered a trusted lieutenant of Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen who has been designated a terrorist under the Indian law, with New Delhi accusing the SFJ of orchestrating anti-India propaganda and financing separatist campaigns abroad.

Following the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in June 2023, Gosal took a more prominent role in coordinating mobilisation of the diaspora, including the controversial so-called “Khalistan referendum” campaigns promoted by the SFJ.