Canadian Police Arrest Three Indian Nationals Over Killing of Sikh Activist

OTTAWA, Canadian authorities have apprehended and formally charged three Indian men in connection with the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year, announcing that they are investigating possible ties to the Indian government.

According to Kashmir Media Service, The incident, detailed in a report by the Kashmir Media Service, has escalated tensions between Canada and India, dating back to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s insinuation of Indian government involvement in Nijjar’s assassination. Nijjar, a proponent of Khalistan, a separate Sikh state, was fatally shot on June 18, 2023, by masked assailants in the parking lot of the Sikh temple he led in suburban Vancouver. Trudeau’s subsequent expulsion of an Indian official fueled a diplomatic spat between the two nations.

The suspects, all Indian nationals residing in Edmonton, Alberta, were taken into custody on Friday. Two of them, aged 22, and one aged 28, face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy. Authorities allege their involvement as the shooter, driver, and lookout during Nijjar’s killing.

During a press conference, Mandeep Mooker of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s homicide investigations team stated that the investigation remains ongoing, with a focus on uncovering any potential links between the suspects and the Indian government.

Moninder Singh, a close associate of Nijjar, expressed a semblance of relief that the investigation is progressing. Singh, also a spokesperson for the British Columbia Council of Gurdwaras, pinned ultimate responsibility on India, alleging a pattern of hiring individuals to target Sikh leaders abroad.

In a related development, the US Justice Department recently charged an Indian citizen residing in the Czech Republic with planning a similar assassination attempt on American soil. Unsealed court documents suggested the involvement of an Indian government official in the plot. As per The Washington Post, US intelligence agencies implicated India’s former top spy official, Samant Goel, in approving the plan to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States.