Ontario –  Multiple shots were fired at a home in Canada that belonged to a close associate of pro-Kahalistan extremist Gurpatwant Pannun. According to The Guardian, a construction crew found bullet holes in a window of an unfinished house in Brampton, Ontario. As per the reports, the home belongs to Inderjit Singh Gosal who was a close associate of Pannu and member extremist group called Sikhs for Justice. Peel Regional police confirmed the incident and stated that the matter is currently under investigation. 

While speaking to local reporters, Constable Tyler Bell-Morena made it clear that no injuries were reported and that it is “too early” to formulate any sort of links. The shooting incident took place days after Gosal announced that the pro-Khalistan movement would hold a rally outside the Indian consulate in Toronto on 17 February, The Guardian reported. Gosal is known for his close ties with US-based extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Pannu who lives in Washington serves as the chief legal counsel for Sikh For Justice. The Khalistan movement abroad received significant attention following the assassination of pro-Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The murder of Nijjar was the main catalyst for souring ties between India and Canada. The relations between the two nations nose-dived into the abyss after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged that agents “working for the Indian government” were responsible for the murder of the Sikh activist. 

Gosal makes ‘baseless’ allegations

Shortly after the attack, Gosal released a statement on the matter in which he alleged that “Indian spies” were involved in the attack. “No amount of threats and violence can stop me from advocating for the liberation of Punjab from Indian occupation. I have been heading Khalistan freedom rallies in front of the Indian consulate and I have been targeted for the same very reason that Nijjar was assassinated by Indian agents, ie our campaigning for the Khalistan referendum,” Gosal said in a statement. “This firing [sic] has absolutely been orchestrated by the Indian spy network operating from diplomatic missions in Canada headed by the Indian High Commissioner [Sanjay] Verma," he said in his provocative remarks, The Guardian reported. Monday's shooting marked the second time the house of a prominent Khalistani extremist was attacked this year. On February 1, at least two people opened fire on the house of Simranjeet Singh in the British Columbia city of Surrey. Singh was known for his close association with Hardeep Singh Nijjar.