In a harrowing incident, a Sikh man named Raju was stopped by California Highway Patrol officers near Santa Rosa, CA for driving on the shoulder of the road instead of using the lanes with traffic flow. The situation took a sinister turn when gunshots were fired at his passenger’s truck, specifically targeting its driver’s side window and narrowly missing Raju and his friends in the vehicle. Despite this terrifying event, no individuals inside the truck sustained injuries.
Upon investigation by authorities, bullet casings have been recovered from the scene. However, at present, there are no identified suspects as per California Highway Patrol’s statements. Raju himself does not believe that his situation was a random act of violence but rather part of a targeted attack against him due to his activism for an independent Sikh state—a cause strongly opposed by the Indian government.
Raju points out that two individuals close to him have also been victims of attempted assassination in recent times, which he links to this incident. Specifically, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a U.S. citizen and fellow activist who was targeted with an alleged plot by the Justice Department last year in New York City, and Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh separatist whose assassination occurred the previous year and for which four Indian nationals were arrested and charged in Canada.
Raju strongly believes that this shooting incident in California may be connected to these targeted attacks against him and his associates by the Indian government. However, it is essential to note that at this stage, there is no conclusive evidence pointing to India’s involvement. The Indian authorities have denied any responsibility for Nijjar’s assassination but conducted its own investigation into Pannun’s case under U.S. pressure.
The broader issue of foreign governments attempting to harass or kill dissidents on U.S. soil—referred to as transnational repression by the Justice Department—has emerged as a growing concern in recent years, with federal prosecutors successfully foiling at least four assassination plots tied to this phenomenon within the past few years. While the case of Raju’s shooting is still under investigation, its potential connections and implications raise important questions regarding international relations and national security.
