New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed an FIR against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor of the banned group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), for promoting Khalistan and allegedly offering ₹11 crore to prevent the Prime Minister from hoisting the national flag on Independence Day this year.
The FIR, registered on August 19, states that Pannun held a “Meet the Press” at the Lahore Press Club in Pakistan on August 10, 2025. During the event, he addressed journalists via video link from Washington, US, rejecting India’s sovereignty over Punjab and promoting the Khalistan movement.
At the event, he also unveiled SFJ’s new “Delhi Banayga Khalistan” map, which includes Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi. The FIR notes, “Pannun hosted the ‘Meet the Press’ at Lahore Press Club, Pakistan on 10.08.2025, addressing journalists via video link from Washington, US, focusing on the rejection of India’s sovereignty over Punjab and the promotion of Khalistan. He offered ₹11 crore to Sikh soldiers who would prevent the Prime Minister from hoisting the Tricolor at Red Fort on 15th August 2025 and unveiled SFJ’s new ‘Delhi Banayga Khalistan’ Referendum Map covering Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi.”
Pannun was designated an “individual terrorist” by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in July 2020 and faces multiple terror-related cases in India.
Separately, on September 23, Canadian police arrested Khalistani operative Inderjeet Singh Gosal in Ontario on firearms charges, CBC reported citing Reuters. Gosal, a member of SFJ and associate of US-based Pannun, was also closely linked to Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Khalistani operative killed outside a gurdwara in British Columbia in June 2023.
