Khalistani extremist Inderjeet Gosal held in Canada: How the high-profile arrest reflects a hard reset in ties with India

In what officials describe as the “first visible outcome” of a hard reset in India–Canada security cooperation, Canadian authorities have arrested Inderjeet Singh Gosal, a key Khalistan Referendum coordinator and close associate of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Gosal was detained on multiple firearms-related charges in Ottawa, an action widely viewed as a sharp departure from Canada’s earlier permissive stance towards separatist groups operating under the cover of free speech.

CNN-News18 quotes intelligence sources familiar with the matter, according to whom, the arrest follows sustained diplomatic and intelligence pressure from New Delhi, spearheaded by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval. Indian agencies had supplied Ottawa with detailed dossiers, including financial trail intelligence and evidence linking Gosal directly to Pannun. These inputs, sources said, proved decisive in pushing Canadian authorities to clamp down on extremist sleeper cells that had long exploited the country’s lenient environment.

“This is confirmation that Khalistani networks in Canada remain active extensions of banned outfits. The fact that Ottawa has now moved on actionable intelligence provided by India shows a clear policy recalibration,” sources told CNN-News18.

Indian security officials have interpreted the Gosal arrest as a significant acknowledgement of New Delhi’s long-standing allegations that separatist elements abroad are engaged in organised militancy. By detaining an individual with operational proximity to Pannun, who has already been designated a terrorist by India, Canadian authorities have reinforced India’s charge that extremist networks are not merely advocacy groups but pose a tangible security threat.

How the Doval–Drouin channel delivered results

The breakthrough traces back to a meeting in New Delhi between NSA Ajit Doval and his Canadian counterpart Nathalie Drouin earlier this month. Intelligence sources, as quoted by CNN-News18, described the dialogue as “a hard reset” in a relationship strained since the fallout over Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing in 2023. Both sides had recently exchanged new ambassadors, signalling an intent to move past the diplomatic standoff.

At that meeting, Indian interlocutors pressed for concrete steps on Khalistani extremism, extradition of wanted terrorists, and curbing Canadian interference in India’s domestic affairs. India also revived dossiers and funding-trail evidence earlier shared in discreet meetings in Singapore. According to sources, Ottawa indicated a readiness to enhance intelligence sharing and explore new joint counter-terrorism mechanisms.

“This is the first tangible action that matches those assurances,” intelligence sources noted, pointing out that Gosal’s detention would not have occurred without high-level political clearance from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government.

Sources say the move reflects Canada’s growing sensitivity to India’s red lines. The Carney government, they argue, is keen to stabilise ties in order to unlock trade and energy opportunities, including the 20 billion dollars of potential identified during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Calgary. By signalling seriousness on counter-terrorism, Ottawa is also sending a message to allies like the United States and the United Kingdom, where similar diaspora-linked groups operate.

For India, Doval’s intervention highlights a new readiness to deploy diplomatic, intelligence, and security tools to hold Western governments accountable on counter-terror cooperation. “The test of sincerity will lie in whether this becomes a pattern, not just an isolated case,” an intelligence source cautioned.

Still, the arrest of Gosal is being hailed within Indian agencies as a watershed moment, evidence that sustained pressure backed by hard intelligence can reshape the counter-terror landscape even in countries where separatist lobbies once appeared untouchable.

Who is Inderjeet Singh Gosal?

Inderjeet Singh Gosal took over from Hardeep Singh Nijjar as the primary organiser for Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) in Canada following Nijjar’s death in British Columbia in June 2023. He is known to be a close associate of SFJ’s general counsel, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, whom India designates as a terrorist.

Canadian authorities last year issued a “duty to warn” notice to Gosal, listing him among 13 Canadians identified as potential targets of violence against pro-Khalistan activists, with support from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. SFJ alleges that Gosal was targeted himself during a pro-Khalistan protest at the Hindu temple in Brampton, which was hosting a consular camp attended by Indian consulate officials from Toronto.

Gosal said in October last year that he was prepared to sacrifice his life for an independent Sikh homeland in Punjab, saying, “I know what I signed up for, death doesn’t scare me,” as reported by The Financial Times.