KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
22-Sep-2025
Canadian Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree’s office on September 22 confirmed that the federal government is seriously considering designating the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist organisation. Minister’s spokesperson Simon Lafortune said that the decision is based on evidence, intelligence, and recommendations from security agencies, adding that the evaluation process is rigorous and ongoing to ensure Canadians’ safety.
21-Sep-2025
Indo-Canadian community groups have cautiously welcomed a Canadian government bill to combat hate crimes against identity-based groups, including those based on religion. The legislation proposes criminalising intimidation or obstruction at places of worship, schools, and community centres, making hate-motivated crimes a specific offence, and banning the public display of certain terrorism or hate symbols. The bill will also introduce a ‘hate propaganda’ offence, making it a crime to wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group by publicly displaying certain terrorism or hate symbols, including those linked to government-listed terrorist entities. Two pro-Khalistan groups on the list are Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF).
19-Sep-2025
According to Canadian authorities, three Khalistani terrorists, including Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's close aide Inderjeet Singh Gosal and his two associates Arman Singh and Jagdeep Singh, were arrested in Oshawa over firearms-related charges on September 19. On September 22, the three were produced before the Ontario Court of Justice in Oshawa and charged with multiple offences, including careless use of a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and carrying a concealed weapon.
19-Sep-2025
According to reports, the trial of four Indian nationals accused in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar is unlikely to begin before late 2026, with the pretrial process expected to continue for several months. The four accused remain in custody under a detention order. Trial dates are yet to be set, but pretrial applications will begin in January 2026 and continue until August 2026, said Damienne Darby, communications counsel for the British Columbia Prosecution Service.
19-Sep-2025
According to sources, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are actively considering designating the dreaded Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organisation in Canada. The move is being pursued in close coordination with Indian agencies, particularly the Gujarat Police. Bishnoi, one of India’s most feared gangsters, has been lodged in Ahmedabad Central Jail for nearly three years over an offshore drug trafficking case.
18-Sep-2025
India urged Canadian authorities to enhance security for its diplomats and consular premises after the Khalistani terrorist outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) threatened to “siege” the Vancouver consulate, Canada, on September 18. Senior Indian officials said the issue was strongly raised with Global Affairs Canada, which directs local agencies on diplomatic security under the Vienna Conventions.
18-Sep-2025
The Khalistani separatist outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on September 18 staged a day-long protest outside the Indian Consulate in Vancouver, Canada to mark two years since former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claim of Indian involvement in the 2023 killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun described the demonstration as both “remembrance” and “resistance.”
17-Sep-2025
The banned Khalistani group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), on September 17, issued a public notice threatening a 12-hour “siege” of the Indian consulate in Vancouver, Canada starting 8 am on September 18. The notice warned Indo-Canadians against visiting the consulate, accused Indian missions of running “spy networks” against Khalistan referendum activists, and cited former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s allegations of Indian agents’ involvement in Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing. SFJ also released a poster targeting India’s High Commissioner-designate Dinesh Patnaik, branding him the “new face of India’s Hindutva terror in Canada.”
15-Sep-2025
According to report, rising extortion cases have prompted the City of Surrey, Canada, to announce a USD 250,000 reward for information leading to convictions, one of the largest rewards in Canadian policing history. The Surrey Police Service is currently investigating 44 extortion cases, including 27 involving shootings. Mayor Brenda Locke called the extortionists “thugs and criminals” who threaten the city’s way of life and instill fear in residents. Police have linked the crimes to the India-based Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which has targeted South Asian communities across Canada, prompting British Columbia Premier David Eby and others to demand that the group be designated a terrorist organization.
14-Sep-2025
According to a Hindustan Times report, Canadian federal courts in 2025 dismissed appeals by at least 30 individuals challenging removal orders or asylum claim refusals over their alleged support for the Khalistan movement. Court records showed many applicants cited their links to Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) or possession of a ‘Khalistan Referendum’ voter ID as grounds for fearing persecution in India. Canadian courts dismissed 30 asylum appeals linked to Khalistan support over insufficient evidence of persecution risks in 2025, while only four applicants succeeded.
11-Sep-2025
Inderjeet Singh Gosal, Sikhs For Justice’s Canada coordinator, on September 11, said he has received warnings from police of an imminent threat to his life but declined entry into witness protection, in Canada. Gosal, who took over SFJ’s Canada role after Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s assassination in June 2023, said the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alerted him on September 10 and formally offered protection. He alleged that Indian government agents are continuously targeting him.
09-Sep-2025
According to a recent Khalsa Vox report, a surge in pro-Khalistan imagery and rhetoric in Ontario has raised concerns over public safety and Canada’s diplomatic obligations. Videos circulated online showed a trucker glorifying Dilawar Singh, the suicide bomber who assassinated Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh, while posters displayed at a Khalsa Nagar Kirtan parade organised by the Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) carried violent imagery targeting India’s High Commissioner Dinesh Patnaik. The report cautioned that such actions risk normalising political violence, breaching the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and tarnishing Canada’s international reputation.
08-Sep-2025
On September 8, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced a news conference to provide an update on fugitive Rabih alias Robby Alkhalil, who escaped from the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, on July 21, 2022, while facing murder charges. Alkhalil, who already has murder convictions in Toronto and Vancouver, is listed on Interpol’s Red Notice and Canada’s “most wanted” list under the Be On the Lookout (BOLO) Program, which has offered a reward of up to CAD 50,000 for information leading to his arrest.
06-Sep-2025
According to a new Canadian government report titled ‘2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks in Canada,’ Khalistani extremist groups such as Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) have been receiving financial support originating from Canada. The report stated that these groups, along with Hamas and Hezbollah, use networks including non-profit organisations to solicit donations from diaspora communities for raising and transferring funds. It further highlighted the growing use of cryptocurrencies, hawala networks, and informal value transfer systems as persistent financing risks.
04-Sep-2025
On September 4 and 5, Canadian radio network Red Frequency Modulation (FM) raised CAD 2 million in just 48 hours through a nationwide radiothon to support flood relief efforts in Punjab, with contributions from listeners in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. The funds will be channelled to Sikhi Awareness Foundation (SAF) International for emergency aid, rehabilitation of displaced families, and long-term rebuilding, reflecting the deep ties of Canada’s South Asian community with Punjab.
31-Aug-2025
According to data, Indian nationals filed 9,947 refugee claims in Canada between January and June 2025, accounting for over 18% of all claims. However, they also represented a 19% refusal rate and 53% of abandoned cases, raising concerns about misuse of the asylum system. Immigration experts allege that many claims—often citing Khalistan support—are part of a 'fraud industry' driven by unscrupulous consultants.
27-Aug-2025
The Canadian Federal Court in Vancouver on August 27 dismissed an appeal by Indian national Kanwaljit Kaur, ruling that her claims of facing persecution in India due to her support for the Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and the Khalistan movement were speculative and unsubstantiated. Justice Guy Regimbald held that merely possessing a Khalistan Referendum voter card did not make her a person of interest for Indian authorities, thereby rejecting her Pre-Removal Risk Assessment appeal and dismissing her motion for a stay of removal.
25-Aug-2025
A Canadian federal court in Montreal on August 25 rejected the asylum plea of an Indian couple, Amandeep Singh and Kanwaldeep Kaur, who had claimed that their association with the Khalistan movement would expose them to ‘persecution’ if they were forced to return to India. The court described their claim as ‘disingenuous and lacking good faith’.
18-Aug-2025
According to a Khalsa Vox report released on August 18, Canada is facing an escalating nexus of gang-led extortion and Khalistani extremism, endangering public safety and bilateral relations with India. Citing the two recent attacks on Kapil Sharma’s Surrey café—one linked to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the other to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang—the report urged Ottawa to strengthen laws against transnational gangs, improve intelligence-sharing with India, and act decisively against extremism. It warned that the café shootings should serve as a wake-up call to protect Canada’s credibility, unity, and security.
14-Aug-2025
According to sources, extortion and targeted violence against South Asian businesses in Canada is on the rise, with the latest example being two gunfire attacks on Kap’s Café, owned by comedian Kapil Sharma and his wife Ginni Chatrath, in Surrey. On August 7, the café was sprayed with at least 25 bullets and a Molotov cocktail-like device was recovered, less than a month after a similar shooting on July 10. The August attack was claimed by Goldy Dhillon of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, while the July assault was linked to Harjit Singh Laddi, an alleged Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) fugitive. Police say these incidents highlight the growing reach of transnational gangs, while political leaders in British Columbia (BC), Alberta, and Ontario have urged Ottawa to designate the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organisation to strengthen enforcement.