Three men have been charged with the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader who was campaigning for an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan. The suspects, identified as Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karan Brar, were arrested on May 3rd by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Nijjar was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia in June 2023. The RCMP believes that others may have been involved in the crime and investigations are ongoing to determine if there is any involvement from the Indian government.
Nijjar's advocacy for Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland carved out of India, has long been a source of tension between Canada and India. The Indian government had labeled Nijjar as a 'terrorist'.
The diplomatic crisis between Canada and India was escalated when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cited evidence of Indian government involvement in Nijjar's death. The World Sikh Organization raised concerns about a possible Indian government strategy to assassinate leaders of the Khalistan movement.
All three suspects are Indian nationals and had been living in Canada for several years but were not permanent residents. They entered Canada on student visas but may have been working at the direction of Indian intelligence when they shot Nijjar, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The RCMP is urging anyone with information related to this investigation to come forward and contact their local police department or Crime Stoppers.
