Toronto: Canadian police have arrested three Khalistani terrorists, including Inderjeet Singh Gosal, a close aide of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun -- over firearms-related charges last week. The three separatists were arrested during a traffic stop operation in Ontario on September 19.
Gosal is a member of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), an outfit banned in India and headed by US-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Pannun was declared a designated "individual terrorist" by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in July 2020 and faces multiple cases in the country on terror charges.
Gosal was also a close associate of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Khalistani terrorist shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia in June 2023.
Nijjar's killing sparked a major diplomatic crisis between India and Canada after then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged there were "credible allegations" of Indian involvement. India strongly rejected the charge, calling it politically motivated, and accused Ottawa of providing a safe haven to Khalistani terrorists.
The arrest comes as Canada's new leadership under Prime Minister Mark Carney has sought to mend ties with India.
Last week, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held detailed talks in New Delhi with his Canadian counterpart Nathalie Drouin. Both sides focused on restoring stability in bilateral relations after months of strain.
Gosal himself has claimed that police in Canada warned him of threats to his life, CBC noted, citing Reuters.
While authorities have not commented on the present arrest, officials in the past confirmed that such warnings have been issued to several "sikh activists in Canada", CBC reported.