Toronto police are investigating a major fire at a residence across from the Oakville, Ontario home of Gurpatwant Pannun, General-Counsel of the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The fire, reported on Thursday night, resulted in damages estimated at nearly 500,000 Canadian dollars ($368,174), including damage to several sports cars.
Investigation and Security Concerns
Halton Regional Police indicated that faulty wiring was likely the cause of the fire and noted that there were no indications of criminal activity. The fire was deemed non-suspicious. The residents of the affected home were evacuated, with two individuals treated for smoke inhalation.
Pannun, who resides in New York, expressed concerns about the fire’s implications. “Once Canadian security officials investigate, it will be clear whether the fire was accidental or an act of arson,” Pannun stated. He emphasized that his residence is under constant security and that Canadian law enforcement would address any attempts of violence.
Background on Related Incidents
Pannun had recently visited his Oakville residence in August. The affected home had no connection to the Khalistan movement. Last November, a U.S. Federal court indictment revealed a plot to kill Pannun involving Indian national Nik Gupta, who was extradited from Czechia and is facing trial in the U.S.
The killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, last year, who was a close associate of Pannun and SFJ’s principal organizer of the Khalistan referendum in Canada, remains a significant event in this context.
