KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
10-Nov-2025
In a recent social media video, Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), issued a direct threat against India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, using inflammatory language and vowing to “kill Jaishankar politically.” He also threatened to disrupt the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for November 11–12, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada, specifically targeting sessions involving India’s participation to embarrass the country on foreign soil.
09-Nov-2025
On November 9, a pro-Khalistan rally organized by the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) was held in Montreal, Canada, with over 500 cars displaying yellow flags and chanting slogans like “Khalistan Zindabaad.” The demonstration took place ahead of the next phase of the so-called “Khalistan referendum,” scheduled in Ottawa on November 23. SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun announced on social media that the convoy marked the beginning of a “24*7 Khalistan action” from November 11 to 12, aimed at “challenging” India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
07-Nov-2025
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on November 7 deported three foreign nationals linked to an ongoing extortion network targeting Punjabi-origin business owners in British Columbia. These are the first deportations under the BC Extortion Task Force—a 40-member joint operation involving the CBSA, RCMP, and local police agencies—formed earlier this year to combat transnational organized crime in the province. CBSA officials said 78 more foreign nationals are under investigation for suspected inadmissibility and possible links to the extortion cases. Authorities have not disclosed the identities or nationalities of those deported, though law enforcement sources indicated that many of both the victims and perpetrators are of Punjabi origin.
01-Nov-2025
Canadian ministers on November 1 condemned a protest by the Khalistani group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) that targeted Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand outside India’s Consulate in Toronto on October 31, citing it as a threat to public officials. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree wrote on X, “A recent protest in Toronto showed two men shooting at the image of a federal minister — which is absolutely vile and unacceptable. Canada condemns all threats to public officials, full stop. Those responsible for inciting such hate and violence must be found and held accountable.” International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu echoed the sentiment, stating, “I strongly condemn the actions and rhetoric that promoted violence during the demonstration in Toronto. It is unacceptable and entirely contrary to the values of respect, peace, and unity that define our country. Canadians have the right to peacefully express their views, but that right can never be used to justify hate, intimidation, or harm.” Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai added, “Targeting a public official with threats or violence undermines our democracy.”
31-Oct-2025
On October 31, the banned Khalistani group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) staged a protest outside the Indian Consulate in Toronto, targeting Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand. The demonstration featured posters of Anand and former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, juxtaposed with a tableau depicting Gandhi’s assassination by her bodyguards Beant Singh and Satwant Singh. The display, organized on the 41st anniversary of Indira Gandhi’s assassination, showed the two assassins aiming guns at Gandhi and at a morphed image of Anand. Another poster highlighted Anand’s recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her bilateral visit to India earlier this month.
30-Oct-2025
In the early hours of October 30, another suspected extortion-related shooting occurred at a residence near 56th Avenue and King George Boulevard in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Several people were inside the home, but no injuries were reported. Police arrested two suspects and believe the incident is linked to Indian gang activity.
29-Oct-2025
On October 29, Arpan Sahsi, son of Indian-origin businessman Darshan Singh Sahsi who was shot dead outside his Abbotsford home on October 27, dismissed claims by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang that the killing was linked to unpaid extortion or drug trafficking. Arpan stated, “There were no calls, no threats, no blackmail — nothing. My father was a hardworking man who built his business from scratch. This makes no sense. No one benefits from this.”
28-Oct-2025
Unidentified gangsters reportedly opened fire at the house of Punjabi singer Channi Nattan in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Following the incident, Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Goldy Dhillon shared a video of the shooting on social media, claiming responsibility and alleging that the attack was prompted by Nattan’s “growing closeness” with fellow singer Saradar Khera. The gang warned the Punjabi music industry that anyone collaborating with or maintaining ties with Khera “will be solely responsible for their own loss,” vowing to continue targeting him. Canadian authorities are investigating the incident and verifying the gang’s claims.
27-Oct-2025
A prominent Punjabi businessman, identified as Darshan Singh Sahsi, was shot dead outside his residence in the Ridgeview Drive area of Abbotsford, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on October 27. Sahsi was reportedly about to get into his car to leave for his office in Maple Ridge when the assailants opened fire. Police suspect it to be a targeted attack. Sahsi, originally from Ludhiana, Punjab, was also the President of Canam International, a leading firm in clothing recycling. Soon after the incident, Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility in a social media post, stating that the murder was carried out following Sahsi’s refusal to pay an extortion demand. The post further alleged that Sahsi was involved in a drug trafficking operation and had blocked the gang’s number after refusing to pay.
25-Oct-2025
A Khalistani rally, organized by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) leader Inderjeet Gosal, featuring a float depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was held in Brampton, Canada, on October 25. The rally, which concluded in Mississauga, sought to glorify Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, the assassins of Indira Gandhi. The event comes ahead of a planned SFJ siege of the Indian Ambassador’s residence on October 31 and the Khalistan referendum voting scheduled for November 23.
24-Oct-2025
In a recent interview with The Globe and Mail, High Commissioner of India to Canada Dinesh K. Patnaik voiced concern over Canada’s handling of evidence in transnational crime cases and its inaction against the “illegal activities” of Khalistani separatists. He noted that while evidence submitted by Ottawa is deemed “enough,” similar evidence from New Delhi is often dismissed as “not enough.” “Your evidence is enough but our evidence is not enough?” Patnaik remarked, reflecting India’s frustration with Canada’s lack of seriousness toward its security concerns. He complained that Canada has done little to stop illegal activities by some Canadian Sikhs promoting a separate Khalistan state in Punjab. India has shared dossiers and the names of at least 25 individuals of concern with Canadian authorities, but there has been little visible action in response.
22-Oct-2025
Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre extended Diwali greetings, combining them with wishes for Bandi Chhor Divas, which drew criticism for his choice of wording. Social media users accused him of pandering to Khalistanis, with some commenting that it was unsurprising his party lost the last election.
21-Oct-2025
Punjabi singer Teji Kahlon was seriously injured in a targeted shooting attack outside a private event in Canada on October 21. Soon after the attack, a social media post by three individuals, Mahender Saran Dilana, Rahul Rinau, and Vicky Phalwan, claiming affiliation with the Rohit Godara gang took responsibility for the incident. In the post, the group issued a chilling threat, warning of a fatal strike. Local police and Canadian federal authorities are investigating the case but have not yet confirmed the identities of the shooters or the motive behind the attack.
21-Oct-2025
Three men linked to gangster Rohit Godara, Mahender Saran Dilana, Rahul Rinau and Vicky Phalwan, claimed in a social-media post that they shot Punjabi singer Teji Kahlon in Canada and warned “this is only the beginning.” They said Kahlon was shot in the abdomen and accused him of aiding rival gangs with money, weapons and information, and warned of harsher action if he did not stop.
20-Oct-2025
Former CSIS director and national security adviser Richard Fadden, who served under prime ministers Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper, said on October 20 that India never provided evidence to back its concerns about Sikh separatist activities in Canada. Fadden noted that Indian officials frequently raised the issue during his tenure, but “never gave us any evidence.” He added, “We kept trying to explain to them that we have the rule of law and our own procedures.” Fadden expressed hope that there is now “an effective exchange of law enforcement information on both sides” to allow such cases to proceed through courts.
20-Oct-2025
India’s new High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, in an interview with CTV, said that the threat posed by Khalistani groups operating in Canada is a domestic issue for Ottawa to address, not an Indian one. He dismissed allegations linking Indian diplomats to criminal activities as “preposterous and absurd.” Patnaik added that recent discussions between Ottawa and New Delhi have focused on “the entire security situation,” including the growing influence of Khalistani groups. “What we are talking about now are the different security scenarios that are happening in this country,” he said.
19-Oct-2025
According to reports, Canada is facing the fallout of its lenient immigration and law enforcement policies, which have enabled fugitive gangsters and terror-linked operatives from Punjab to establish a dangerous foothold in the country. The rise in gang violence—driven by the newly designated terrorist entity, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang—has turned isolated crimes into a transnational menace involving extortion, drug trafficking, and targeted shootings that threaten public safety and strain India–Canada relations. The gang’s audacity is evident in high-profile incidents such as the three shootings in three months targeting comedian Kapil Sharma’s cafe in Surrey, British Columbia.
18-Oct-2025
India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, dismissed allegations by the RCMP and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that linked Indian diplomats to homicides and extortion cases in Canada. He said that recent India–Canada talks have focused on “the entire security situation,” including the Khalistan separatist movement. Calling the issue a domestic one for Canada, Patnaik remarked, “Canada cannot look at this as an Indian problem. It’s a Canadian problem. There are Canadians who are creating this problem.” Expressing concern over his own security, he added, “I find it strange that a high commissioner here has to be under protection. I should not be under protection in a country like this.”
18-Oct-2025
According to reports, two truck drivers of Indian origin, Karan Owaan and Gagandeep Singh Gharil, were arrested on October 18 at the Michigan–Sarnia border in Canada for allegedly smuggling millions of dollars’ worth of illegal drugs. They were charged with importing methamphetamine into Canada and possessing it for the purpose of trafficking. One of the accused has reportedly been released on bail.
16-Oct-2025
Shots were fired at Indian-origin comedian and actor Kapil Sharma’s restaurant in Surrey, Canada, on October 16, the third such incident since its opening in July. The shots were fired in the early morning while staff were inside the cafe, but no one was injured. The restaurant had reopened earlier this month after being targeted twice earlier, on July 10 and August 7.