Canada Arrests Three Indians Over Sikh Separatist Leader Nijjar's Killing

Three Indian nationals have been arrested and charged in connection with the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader in Canada, according to media reports. The killing sparked a major diplomatic row between India and Canada.

As reported by BBC, the three suspects, Karan Brar, 22, Kamal Preet Singh, 22, and Karan Preet Singh, 28, were living in Edmonton, Alberta, where they were arrested. They have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, according to court records.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead last June by masked gunmen in a busy car park in a Vancouver suburb. He was a Canadian citizen and a prominent campaigner for a separate Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan, which would include parts of India's Punjab state.

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The diplomatic row escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that India's government is involved in Nijjar's killing. Delhi strongly denied the allegation.

Last September, Trudeau said he had credible information linking the Indian government to the killing, which was labelled "absurd and motivated" by India's Ministry of External Affairs.

The diplomatic fallout saw tit-for-tat expulsions of senior diplomats from both countries. India also stopped issuing visas to Canadian nationals, but later resumed them in a phased manner.

Also Read:

• Who Was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Whose Murder In Canada Has Triggered Tensions With India

• Growth Of Pro-Khalistan Sentiments Abroad; How Canada Became Hotbed Of Khalistan Movement

Authorities did not specify who allegedly conspired with the accused but said there are separate investigations ongoing into Nijjar's death. 

“This investigation does not end here,” Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, head of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team for the Mounties, said at a news conference on Friday. “We are aware that others may have played a role in this homicide, and we remain dedicated to finding and arresting each one of these individuals.”

Canadian politician Jagmeet Singh claimed that the Indian government hired assassins "to murder a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil - at a place of worship."

The Leader of Canada's New Democratic Party wrote on X: "Let me be clear - any Indian agent or state actor that ordered, planned or carried out this murder must be exposed and met with the full force of Canadian law. For Canada, democracy and free speech - there must be Justice for Hardeep Singh Nijjar."

The presence of Khalistani separatists in Canada has long frustrated India. Nijjar was labelled a "terrorist" by India.