Gun charges dropped against pair of Sikh activists but not for accused from Brampton: reports

Two out of three Sikh activists arrested on firearm offences have reportedly had their charges dropped, while a third from the Brampton area is still facing gun charges.

The trio of arrests happened on Sept. 19 following a traffic stop in Oshawa, the OPP said in a now-deleted news release.

One of the accused was prominent Sikh activist and member of the Khalistan movement Inderjeet Gosal, 36, of Caledon –  a vocal proponent of the Sikh independence movement and leader of the Canadian chapter of Sikhs for Justice.

Gosal took over as leader of the Canadian chapter following the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down in Surrey, B.C., in 2023.

Jagdeep Singh, 41, of Pickville, New York, and Arman Singh, 23, of Toronto, were also arrested along with Gosal and charged with several offences, including careless use of a firearm, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and carrying concealed weapon.

But the charges against Jagdeep and Arman have all been dropped, according to the SFJ and CBC news.

Gosal said the charges against him are still pending, and told CBC that he was offered “the chance to enter a witness protection program,” but declined.

The 36-year-old activist previously went public with allegations that he is a target of a murder plot because of his commitment to the creation of an independent Sikh state.

He has blamed the Indian government for plotting against him.

Members of the Khalistan movement want the state of Punjab to break away from India and become a Sikh-run state, while the Indian government has branded groups in support of Khalistan as terrorist organizations.

Gosal’s Brampton home was hit by gunfire in February 2024. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said there is evidence Nijjar’s 2024 death was orgered by Indian officials.

Informal, non-binding Khalistan referendum votes have previously been held in Brampton, and another vote was held in Ottawa on the weekend.

Gosal was previously arrested and charged with assault with a weapon following violent demonstrations in Brampton and was released on conditions.