After nine months since the exacerbating diplomatic relationship between India and Canada over the killing of pro-Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canada-based CBS News on Friday released a purported video footage of the incident.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated a terrorist by India in 2020, was shot and killed outside a gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on the evening of June 18, 2023.
About the video
The purported video of Nijjar's killing was obtained by CBS News from the Canadian investigative docu-series 'The Fifth Estate' that airs on the CBS network. According to CBS News,the footage has been verified by more than one source.
According to the video, Nijjar was seen leaving the parking lot of the gurudwara in his grey Dodge Ram pickup truck while a white Sedan was seen parked on the adjacent road.
As Nijjar approached the exit, the car pulled in front of him and blocked the road. Then, two men run up to the truck and shoot Nijjar before fleeing the scene in a silver Toyota Camry, CBS News reported.
In the investigative documentary series, Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, one of the witnesses, told that they saw "two guys running". "We started running towards...where the sound was coming from."
He told his friend, Malkit Singh, to chase the armed men on foot as he tried to help Nijjar. Sidhu further told The Fifth Estate that he tried to "press" Nijjar's chest, and "shake him to see if he was breathing".
"But he was totally unconscious. He was not breathing," he added.
Malkit Singh chased the assailants until they boarded the Toyota Camry and escaped the scene, adding there were three others sitting inside the car, CBS News reported. Singh recalled he and Sidhu smelling "smoke from the guns everywhere".
India-Canada Diplomatic Row
The bilateral diplomatic relation between India and Canada turned bitter over the killing of Nijjar as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched an explosive attack saying Indian government was allegedly involved in orchestrating the killing in Canadian soil. However, India promptly declined the allegations.