Gurupatwant Singh Pannun, the counsel for Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), whose alleged murder plot was linked to an Indian with ties to a central government official, first attracted the attention of Indian security agencies in 2015. This was when he initiated the promotion of 'Referendum 2020' among Sikh diasporas. Concurrently, there was a resurgence of pro-Khalistan elements in Punjab, with gangs purportedly engaging in extortion and the targeted killing of religious and political leaders.
