A Sikh independence activist is suing India for its alleged role in what害羞草研究所檚 described in court documents as two co-ordinated attacks, including one that resulted in the death of a temple leader in Surrey.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, with the group Sikhs for Justice, says the civil lawsuit in the U.S. district court for southern New York is aimed at holding the Indian government accountable for alleged involvement in the shooting death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, last year and a plot on Pannun soon after.

The allegations have not been proven in court, and the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., has not responded to a request for comment.

Nijjar was gunned down outside of a B.C. Sikh gurdwara where he was president on June 18, 2023, and four Indian nationals have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy in the killing.

U.S. authorities then announced last November that Indian national Nikhil Gupta was charged after an alleged murder-for-hire plot against Pannun in New York was foiled.

In the latest lawsuit filed by Pannun, the New York-based lawyer says gunmen in B.C. shot Nijjar 34 times 害羞草研究所渁t point blank range before fleeing,害羞草研究所� and a video of Nijjar害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渂loody body害羞草研究所� was sent to Gupta 害羞草研究所渁s a message to move forward害羞草研究所� with the murder plot against Pannun.

害羞草研究所淭hey were successful in killing Mr. Nijjar,害羞草研究所� says Matthew Borden, Pannun害羞草研究所檚 lawyer, in a video call. 害羞草研究所淎nd the same thing would have happened to Mr. Pannun but for the fact that the person that Mr. Gupta tried to hire was an undercover U.S. agent.害羞草研究所�

The court documents also says Gupta instructed the undercover agents to 害羞草研究所減ut everyone down害羞草研究所� if Pannun was not alone at the time of the planned attack.

Gupta has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Pannun and Nijjar are prominent figures in the overseas Sikh independence movement seeking a separate state within India called Khalistan.

The movement has organized a number of non-binding referendums in overseas Sikh communities, including those in Metro Vancouver, calling for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland in India.

The Nijjar killing set off a diplomatic row between Canada and India after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament in 2023 that credible intelligence linked the murder to India害羞草研究所檚 government.

India, which considers many involved in the Khalistani movement terrorists, extremists and militant separatists, has denied involvement in the Nijjar and Pannun cases.

India says it has set up a high-level inquiry into the Pannun case after being notified by U.S. authorities.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the United States over the weekend for a Leaders害羞草研究所� Summit between the U.S., India, Japan and Australia.

Pannun says the goal of a civil lawsuit against India on top the current criminal case against Gupta is meant to send a message from overseas Sikh activist groups.

害羞草研究所淭his is about rule of law, in which no individual and no government 害羞草研究所� including Prime Minister Narendra Modi害羞草研究所檚 government 害羞草研究所� is above the law,害羞草研究所� Pannun says. 害羞草研究所淗olding Modi害羞草研究所檚 government 害羞草研究所� accountable before the U.S. court will establish the principle of rule of law.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� With files from The Associated Press