Canada police arrest ‘hit squad’ suspects linked to Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder

Canadian police said on Friday they had arrested and charged three Indian nationals with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 and said they were probing possible links to the Indian government.

Nijjar, 45, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a large Sikh population.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has cited evidence of Indian government involvement, prompting a diplomatic crisis with New Delhi.

Assistant Commissioner David Teboul said the matter was still under investigation and other probes were being carried out.

These “include investigating connections to the government of India”, he told a televised news conference.

02:58

India’s Sikhs worry about the future as row with Canada escalates

The three suspects are Kamalpreet Singh, Karan Brar and Karampreet Singh and were arrested in Edmonton, Alberta, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Superintendent Mandeep Mooker said.

“This investigation does not end here. 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,” Mooker said.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation earlier said the RCMP had arrested members of an alleged hit squad. It cited a source saying investigators had identified the suspects in Canada some months ago and had been keeping them under tight surveillance.

Nijjar was a Canadian citizen campaigning for the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland carved out of India.

The presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada has long frustrated New Delhi, which had labelled Nijjar a “terrorist”.

02:49

US charges Indian national with conspiracy to assassinate Sikh separatist

Last week the White House