3 Indians Arrested in Canada for Nijjar Murder; Indian Police Hold Bishnoi Gang Responsible
According to a report by the Canadian news agency CBC, the Canadian police have arrested three Indian nationals suspected of involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh, a Khalistani terrorist, on Friday (May 3). The suspects were apprehended from the city of Edmonton.
Police had been keeping an eye on them for many months. It is believed that India had assigned them the task of carrying out Singh’s murder. The suspects were identified as Brar, Karanpreet Singh, and Kamalpreet Singh, all aged between 20 and 30.
According to the news agency ANI, the three suspects have connections with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang as well. They had visited Canada on a temporary visa in 2021. They are accused of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Police have stated that the remaining suspects will also be apprehended shortly.
Roles of Three Suspects in the Murder Case
According to the Canadian police charge sheet, the three suspects had different roles in carrying out Singh’s murder. One was responsible for locating Singh, another was the driver, and the third shot him.
After the arrest of the suspects, Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc was questioned about the murder case. He did not rule out the possibility of extradition to India.
LeBlanc stated, “I have full confidence in Canada’s security arrangements and the police. The murder case has been taken very seriously by the police. Whether or not it is connected to India, the police will handle it appropriately.”
Trudeau Accuses India of Involvement in Murder Case
On June 18, 2023, during an evening visit outside a gurdwara in the city, Singh was shot dead. The following year, on September 18, Prime Minister Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in Singh’s murder, which India strongly denied.
In response to this, the Trudeau government expelled a senior Indian diplomat from the country. This escalated into a controversy between the two countries. Later, Trudeau discussed maintaining relations with India on several occasions.
India Expels Canadian Diplomats
India expelled 41 diplomats following allegations by Canada, suspending visa services for locals there as well. Even the 41 Canadian diplomats were expelled. Later, tensions simmered down diplomatically, and visa services resumed a few months later.
India Alleges Canadian Support for Extremists
Canada was accused by India of sheltering extremists by Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on various platforms against the Trudeau government. Just a few days ago, Canada’s Foreign Minister stated that India is cooperating in its own investigation into the killings.
Nijjar Attacked in Gated Community
According to The Washington Post, CCTV footage related to the incident was released a few months ago, showing the accused Nijjar pulling a gun from his parked truck.
Nijjar and Another Foreigner Involved
The police were notified by two young men present at the scene during the incident. They described the assailants as wearing turbans, following Nijjar’s pickup truck for a long time. Eventually, the assailants’ car was seen in front of the truck. Later, Nijjar stopped the truck. Two men wearing black sweatshirts got out of the car. They fired shots at Nijjar and then fled in the car.
Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar?
Nijjar is from a village in Jalandhar district, Punjab. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was born here on October 11, 1977. When two major events occurred in the country in 1984, Nijjar was only 7 years old…
- Operation Blue Star
- Assassination of Indira Gandhi
The effects of these two incidents reached every village in Punjab. At this time, the state was at the forefront of the Khalistan movement. Boys aged 12 to 15 were being recruited into the Khalistani movement. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was also involved at the same age.
In a short time, Nijjar became an active member of the Khalistan Tiger Force, or KTF. Gradually, he became the mastermind of this organization. In 1995, the Punjab Police conducted operations against Khalistani terrorists across the state. At this time, Nijjar was also captured.
Upon release from prison, he began preparing to flee to Canada. According to reports from Canadian newspaper Toronto Sun, after being targeted by Indian security agencies, Nijjar left the country in 1997. His immigration application dated June 9, 1998, mentioned his desire to reach Canada.
He did not mention in his application that he was involved with any political, religious, or social organizations associated with armed conflict or violence.
According to his wife’s interview, she did not write this. At that time, her application was also rejected.
Nijjar contacted the court in Canada to obtain citizenship, but his appeal was rejected in 2001. Information on how he obtained citizenship thereafter is not publicly available.
