Three arrested and charged over Sikh activist’s killing in Canada
Three individuals of Indian nationality have been apprehended and accused in connection with the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada, triggering a significant diplomatic dispute between the two nations.
Last June, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, aged 45, was fatally shot by unidentified assailants wearing masks in a crowded parking lot in a Vancouver suburb.
The diplomatic tension escalated after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested the potential involvement of the Indian government.
Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, in announcing the arrests on Friday, identified the three suspects as Karan Brar, 22, Kamal Preet Singh, 22, and 28-year-old Karan Preet Singh. They were apprehended in Edmonton, Alberta, where they had been residing. According to court records, they face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The trio had been living in Canada for a period ranging from three to five years, as disclosed by law enforcement.
Moreover, the police underscored that investigations are ongoing, including probes into any potential links to the government of India.
Assistant Commissioner David Teboul emphasized that separate investigations are being conducted into these matters, extending beyond the individuals arrested today.
While investigators have been collaborating with counterparts in India, such cooperation has posed significant challenges over the past few years.
Police said there may be others involved in the killing, and there may be further arrests or charges.
Mr Nijjar was a Sikh separatist leader who publicly campaigned for Khalistan – the creation of an independent Sikh homeland in the Punjab region of India.
In the 1970s, Sikhs launched a separatist insurgency in India which saw thousands killed before it was quelled the following decade. Since then, the movement has been mostly limited to countries with large Sikh populations.
India has in the past described Mr Nijjar as a terrorist who led a militant separatist group – accusations his supporters say are unfounded. They say he had received threats in the past because of his activism.
He was shot dead at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, a city about 30km (18 miles) east of Vancouver on 18 June last year.
Those close to him have said he was warned by Canadian intelligence services before his death that he was on a “hit list” and there had been threats on his life.
Moninder Singh, a member of the British Columbia Gurdwaras Council who was friends with Mr Nijjar for 15 years, told BBC News that the Sikh community was grateful to see progress in the investigation.
However he said there were still “public safety concerns” and “a lot of tension. There’s frustration. And there’s a hope, as well.”
Three months after he was killed, Mr Trudeau, standing in the House of Commons, said Canada was looking at “credible allegations potentially linking” the Indian state to the killing.
The allegation had been strongly denied by Indian officials, who accused Canada of providing shelter to “Khalistani terrorists and extremists”.
The row between the two countries led Delhi to ask Ottawa to reduce the number of envoys it had in India.
Mr Trudeau has also faced pressure to provide evidence for his allegation of Delhi’s involvement.
