Attention-seeking Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of the India-banned extremist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has openly expressed full support for 28-year-old Harjinder Singh, the illegal migrant and asylum-seeker truck driver charged with vehicular homicide in Florida.
Singh faces three counts of vehicular homicide after attempting an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike near Fort Pierce on 12 August, when a minivan slammed into his trailer, killing three passengers.
Dashcam footage of the crash has since gone viral, showing Singh calmly parking his truck moments after impact.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has defended state police after Singh was initially allowed to leave the state before being arrested in California.
DeSantis acknowledged that troopers did not immediately realise a crime may have been committed.
“It wasn’t obvious to the troopers at the time that there was a criminal offence that had been committed,” he said, adding, “the witnesses were dead.”
After reviewing the video evidence, authorities determined there was probable cause to charge Singh. He was arrested by US Marshals in California last week and flown back to Florida under escort by Lieutenant-Governor Jay Collins.
This week, New Mexico State Police also released bodycam footage of Singh being stopped in July, weeks before the fatal crash. In the video, Singh struggles with basic English while speaking to officers after being caught speeding, raising further questions about how he was allowed to hold a commercial driver’s license in both California and Washington.
The case has triggered a Change.org petition launched from Australia by members of the Punjabi community amassing more than three million signatures. The petition argues Singh should face a fair and proportionate sentence, calling the incident a “tragic accident — not a deliberate act.”
However, those familiar with the theatrics of SFJ and Pannun told The Australia Today that his announcement of a US$100,000 “blood money” offer for the crash victims is less about compassion and more a precursor to a global fundraising drive for the Khalistan movement.
Industry insiders note that trucking communities in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK have historically been among the strongest supporters of SFJ as this in turn helps them to get residency via asylum routes.
Meanwhile, nearly 1,500 related petitions have since been started across nine countries, allegedly by supporters of Khalistan in Australia, Canada, and the US.
A rival petition demanding tougher measures, including deportation of Singh’s supporters, has drawn more than 74,000 signatures.
US officials say Singh, who entered the country illegally in 2018 before securing temporary work papers in 2021, failed a post-crash assessment on English proficiency and road signs. Federal law requires truck drivers to demonstrate sufficient English to communicate and understand traffic signs, and Transport Secretary Sean Duffy recently signed an order reinforcing these requirements.
DeSantis rejected suggestions Singh was being unfairly targeted, saying:
“He attempted a very reckless U-turn with a very massive truck knowing how very dangerous that is. So, the notion that somehow this guy wasn’t really at fault — they almost portray him as a victim … I don’t buy that.”
Meanwhile, the State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl who is in charge of prosecuting the truck driver accused of killing three people on Florida’s Turnpike says his office is moving “full steam ahead” with the case.
Bakkedahl told WPBF that Singh’s status as an undocumented immigrant has raised questions about how he obtained a California driver’s and commercial truck licence, and whether he fully understands English or U.S. road laws. He added that authorities are working with federal and California agencies to verify his background. Florida prosecutors are preparing three counts of vehicular homicide and emphasised that public petitions for leniency will not affect the legal process. Formal charges are expected to be filed swiftly, within 30 days.
“Quite frankly, I don’t care if they had 250 million signatures. We are going to follow the law and do our jobs as required.”
Singh is currently being held in Florida on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer and faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
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