Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun says FBI has warned him of new threat on his life

A prominent Sikh separatist said on Tuesday that the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have warned him that he faces a new credible threat to his life even as a man from India faces sentencing later this year for a 2023 death plot against him.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, general counsel for Sikhs For Justice, said he was warned by FBI agents who visited him last Thursday that he should not travel until the threat is resolved, and, if he does, the agency should be notified in advance of his plans.

He said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police warned him by telephone on Tuesday, though neither law enforcement agency gave any details about the plot that was uncovered. Messages seeking comment from both law enforcement agencies were not immediately returned.

Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen, said he was warned according to the terms of a “Duty to Warn” law in the United States that obliges US intelligence and police agencies to notify individuals when they discover credible and specific threats of murder, severe bodily harm or kidnapping.

The new threat comes as Nikhil Gupta, a man from India who pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges in February, awaits a November 20 sentencing in Manhattan federal court for plotting in 2023 with others to assassinate Pannun.

The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) has said Gupta was directed by an Indian government employee to carry out the killing. When Gupta tried, he unwittingly communicated with an undercover police officer posing as a hitman. Federal sentencing guidelines call for Gupta to spend at least two decades in prison.