The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a fresh case against designated Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun for announcing a ₹11 crore bounty to "Sikh soldiers" who would stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi from hoisting the tricolour at the Red Fort on Independence Day (August 15, 2025).
According to officials, the case was registered on September 23, 2025, under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (criminal conspiracy) and Sections 10 and 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The FIR cites Pannun’s virtual address from Washington D.C., delivered during a "Meet the Press" event at the Lahore Press Club, Pakistan, on August 10.
A Home Ministry spokesperson said the matter required NIA investigation due to its “national and international ramifications and the need to unearth the larger conspiracy”. This is the seventh FIR against Pannun, who is the General Counsel of the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) outfit.
Pannun’s Threat and Khalistan Agenda
During his August 10 address, Pannun displayed a proposed map of Khalistan including Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, and claimed SFJ had formed a "Shaheed Jatha" to oppose India. The FIR accuses him of attempting to incite disaffection among Sikhs and disrupt India’s sovereignty.
Despite the threats, PM Modi hoisted the national flag at Red Fort on August 15 without incident.
Diplomatic Tensions with the US
The development comes amid strained India–US ties over allegations of an Indian-backed assassination plot against Pannun in New York. US prosecutors have charged ex-RAW officer Vikash Yadav and Indian national Nikhil Gupta in the case. Gupta was extradited from the Czech Republic and remains in US custody, while Yadav faces charges of murder-for-hire and money laundering.
India has cooperated with Washington, setting up a high-level inquiry panel, but has taken a harder line with Canada over similar allegations in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, rejecting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claims outright. Analysts say this reflects India’s different strategic weightage given to the US and Canada.
Wider Crackdown on Khalistani Networks
The NIA has recently intensified action against Khalistani separatist networks. Earlier in September, the agency raided 22 locations across five states, targeting alleged terror financing and recruitment modules linked to SFJ and associated groups. Investigators have also flagged suspected ISI connections and ties with Punjab-based extremist outfits.
Legal and Global Challenges
Pannun, a dual US-Canadian citizen, was declared a terrorist by India in 2020. His operations from US soil complicate matters, raising issues of jurisdiction, free speech protections, and extradition. Experts say this case underscores the new legal challenges of cross-border terrorism, where individuals based in allied countries directly threaten Indian leadership.
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