Canada Arrests Inderjit Gosal, Top Khalistani Terrorist, In First Big Outcome Of Security Reset With India

Ottawa: Khalistani terrorist Inderjit Singh Gosal, a close aide of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been arrested in Ottawa on multiple firearms-related charges, according to reports.

The development is being described by officials as the "first visible outcome" of a reset in India–Canada security cooperation.

Key Organiser for Sikhs for Justice

Gosal rose in prominence after the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, becoming a principal organiser for the US-based outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). According to a report by Firstpost, officials said that he played a central role in mobilising Khalistan referendum campaigns in Canada and was considered Pannun’s right-hand man. He also acted as Pannun’s personal security officer.

This is his second arrest in less than a year. In November 2023, Gosal was detained over a violent incident at a Hindu temple in the Greater Toronto Area, where he allegedly attacked Hindu-Canadian worshippers. He was released on conditions at the time.

Reset in Bilateral Ties

The arrest comes after sustained pressure from New Delhi. Sources told News18 that Indian agencies, under the supervision of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, had shared dossiers with Ottawa detailing financial links and operational evidence tying Gosal to Pannun. These inputs, the sources added, compelled Canadian authorities to move against extremist sleeper cells.

The breakthrough has been linked to recent talks in India between NSA Doval and his Canadian counterpart Nathalie Drouin. Both sides have also exchanged new ambassadors, signalling efforts to move beyond the diplomatic rift that followed Nijjar's killing.

Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen originally from Punjab, was declared an "individual terrorist" by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs in July 2020, a year after SFJ was banned. Indian authorities have registered more than 100 cases against him and the organisation, including around 60 in Punjab.

Published on: Monday, September 22, 2025, 03:23 PM IST