Three Indians have been arrested by Canadian police for suspected involvement in a so-called assassination squad sent by the Indian government to kill Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey last year.
The bilateral relationship between Canada and India has been under severe strain since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegation in September last year that Indian operatives might have been involved in the assassination of Nijjar.
India has flatly refused Trudeau's allegation, calling it groundless and politically motivated. Assistant Commissioner David Teboul of the RCMP, in a press release, said the three had been arrested and charged with the murder of Sikh activist Nijjar.
Speaking from an RCMP head office, Teboul said the murder investigation was ongoing. Two separate probes were continuing their investigations into potential ties to the Indian government.
The three suspects were not known to police, he said. They have been arrested in Edmonton and are identified as Karan Brar, Karanpreet Singh, and Kamalpreet Singh. He added all three suspects are Indian citizens. They had been in Canada for several years as non-permanent residents. He said cooperation with India on the issue has been tough.
He credited the support from the Sikh community. "We appreciate their help. They have been very supportive to this investigation."
Among the charges are first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder in Nijjar's death.
Nijjar was a Canadian citizen who was shot outside a gurdwara in Surrey in June 2023. Media reports said the three arrived in Canada on student visas and worked under Indian intelligence.
Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic Leblanc would not confirm if there was any link to Indian intelligence in the case. He deferred the same to the RCMP.
The indictment claims there is a conspiracy from Surrey to Edmonton before Nijjar was killed. Police are looking at possible linkages to other murders in Canada, including the shooting of an 11-year-old boy in Edmonton.
The hit squad accused in the killing is believed to have had the roles of shooters, drivers, and spotters. There have been months of surveillance on the suspects.
India rejected Trudeau's latest comments on Nijjar's killing, claiming it is proof of Canada's acceptance of separatism and extremism. The diplomatic relations have been hit, though.
Despite the tension, services for visas were normalized between the two countries after a temporary suspension by India.
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