TORONTO: Two of the three Sikh activists, linked with Khalistan movement, arrested in Ontario in September on multiple firearms-related offences have been cleared of all charges, while the third accused continues to face prosecution.
Inderjit Singh Gosal of Brampton, Jagdeep Singh of New York and Arman Singh were all arrested on Sept. 19 in Whitby and charged with a dozen firearms offences, including careless use and illegal possession of a prohibited handgun. Gosal and Armaan Singh have been informed they are free to travel.
Gosal is a prominent member of the Sikh nationalist Khalistani movement in Canada. Following the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023, Gosal replaced him as leader of the Canadian chapter of Sikhs for Justice.
Gosal has stated that the circumstances surrounding the case should be viewed in light of repeated threats to his life. He declined to discuss specifics while the matter remains before the courts, but said the period preceding the arrests was marked by heightened security alerts.
He has previously been the apparent target of a drive-by shooting in Brampton in February 2024, when unknown assailants fired into a house under construction. He said that in the weeks before the September arrest, police visited him multiple times with warnings that contract shooters were in the area. He also said he was offered entry into a witness protection program, which he declined in order to continue his political activism.
The group connected to the accused has been organizing referendums among the Sikh diaspora in several countries in support of the creation of a separate Sikh homeland. The Indian government has strongly opposed these campaigns, while Canadian authorities allege India was behind the 2023 killing of a prominent Sikh leader in Surrey — a claim India denies.
With their charges now dropped, the two cleared men say they plan to participate in the next referendum event scheduled in Ottawa this Sunday. The third accused, currently out on bail, is also expected to attend.
The Indian government has condemned the referendums as an attack on its sovereignty, and labelled the leadership of Sikhs for Justice terrorists. The government of Canada has accused India's government of ordering the killing of Nijjar. Four men, allegedly connected to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, have been charged in Nijjar's murder.