Canadian police charge three with murder of Sikh leader, probe links to Indian government

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Canadian constabulary complaint 3 with execution of Sikh leader, probe links to Indian government

By David Ljunggren and Ismail Shakil

May 4, 2024 — 11.31am

Ottawa: Canadian constabulary person arrested and charged 3 Indian men with the execution of Sikh separatist person Hardeep Singh Nijjar past twelvemonth and said they were probing whether the men had ties to the Indian government.

Nijjar, 45, was changeable dormant successful June extracurricular a Sikh temple successful Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a ample Sikh population. A fewer months later, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited grounds of Indian authorities involvement, prompting a diplomatic situation with New Delhi.

A photograph of Hardeep Singh Nijjar is seen during a quality league providing an update from the Sikh assemblage astir Nijjar’s homicide.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police named the 3 men arsenic Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karan Brar, 22.

“We’re investigating their ties, if any, to the Indian government,” mounted constabulary Superintendent Mandeep Mooker told a televised quality conference.

The Indian ngo successful Ottawa did not respond to requests for comment.

Nijjar was a Canadian national campaigning for the instauration of Khalistan, an autarkic Sikh homeland carved retired of India. The beingness of Sikh separatist groups successful Canada has agelong frustrated New Delhi, which had labelled Nijjar a “terrorist”.

Last week the White House expressed interest astir the reported relation of the Indian quality work successful assassination plots successful Canada and the United States.

Canadian constabulary said they had worked with US instrumentality enforcement agencies, without giving further details, and suggested much detentions mightiness beryllium coming.

“This probe does not extremity here. We are alert that others whitethorn person played a relation successful this homicide, and we stay dedicated to uncovering and arresting each 1 of these individuals,” said mounted constabulary Assistant Commissioner David Teboul.

The trio, each Indian nationals, were arrested successful the metropolis of Edmonton successful Alberta connected Friday (Ottawa time), constabulary said. They are owed to get successful British Columbia by Monday.

A banner that shows the precocious Sikh separatist person Hardeep Singh Nijjar is displayed extracurricular the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib successful Surrey, British Columbia.

Trudeau announced successful September that Canadian authorities were pursuing allegations linking Indian authorities agents to the murder. New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s assertion arsenic absurd.

“We invited the arrests, but this does pb to a batch much questions,” said Balpreet Singh, ineligible counsel and spokesperson for the Canada-based World Sikh Organisation advocacy group.

“Those who person been arrested are portion of a deed squad but it’s wide that they were directed,” helium said by phone.

Canada had been pressing India to cooperate successful its investigation. Last November, US authorities said an Indian authorities authoritative had directed the crippled successful the attempted execution connected US ungraded of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist and dual national of the US and Canada.

“While today’s enactment ... is simply a measurement forward, it lone scratches the surface,” Pannun said successful a statement, calling for enactment to “dismantle the networks that alteration and perpetuate specified crimes against Canadians connected Canadian soil”.