Police Arrest Three Indian Nationals in Shooting Death of BC Sikh Leader

A photograph of late temple president Hardeep Singh Nijjar is seen on a banner outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, in Surrey, B.C., on Sept. 18, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

Three Indian nationals living in Alberta have been arrested and charged with last year’s murder of B.C. Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, RCMP say.

Mr. Nijjar was shot and killed outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., in June 2023. He was the president of the local temple.

Karan Brar, 22, Karanpreet Singh, 22, and Kamalpreet Singh, 28 were arrested May 3 in Edmonton, where the men were residing, RCMP said during a media conference. The men, who are non-permanent residents, have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons in September there were potential links between the Indian government and the murder of Mr. Nijjar, an advocate for a Sikh state independent of India.

The RCMP said it is investigating ties between the men and the Indian government but had no information to provide thus far. Police said others may have played a role in the homicide and further charges could be laid.

“Through complex investigative techniques and tremendous support from the community, we were able to gather significant evidence that led us to the individuals that were responsible for this homicide,” Superintendent Mandeep Mooker told reporters.

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“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.”

Khalistan Movement

The Indian government has denied Mr. Trudeau’s allegations of involvement, saying they were “absurd.”

“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” India said in a press release. “The inaction of the Canadian government on this matter has been a long-standing and continuing concern.”

The Khalistani movement dates back to 1947 and seeks to create a Sikh state out of India. The separatists call for a Khalistan state to be created out of the northwest state of Punjab. India’s government has long considered the movement a security threat.

Mr. Nijjar was charged in India under terrorism offences and the Khalistan Extremism Monitor accused him of being the leader of the Sikh separatist group Khalistan Tiger Force and affiliated with Babbar Khalsa International, which is listed by the Canadian government as a terrorist entity.

Indian media reported in 2016 that he was suspected to be behind a bombing in Punjab, and was training terrorists in the Vancouver area, The Associated Press said.

Mr. Nijjar previously denied the claims. He was involved in organizing a non-binding referendum on Sikh secession that was scheduled for September in Surrey.

India also filed a criminal case against Mr. Nijjar in 2020, accusing him of trying to create an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness, inciting people to rebel against the Indian government after some farmers were protesting agriculture laws.

In 2022, Mr. Nijjar was accused of being involved in an alleged attack on a Hindu priest in India. A reward of $16,000 was offered by authorities for information leading to his arrest.

Sikh Protests

After his death, the World Sikh Organization of Canada called Mr. Nijjar an outspoken supporter of Khalistan, saying he led peaceful protests against human rights violations taking place in India.

In June 2023, about 200 protesters from the Sikh community in Canada gathered at the Indian Consulate in Vancouver to demonstrate against Mr. Nijjar’s death. Those in attendance dismissed accusations that he was involved in violent activities, according to The Associated Press.

The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) said it welcomed news of the arrests.

“While we welcome arrests in the assassination of Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijjar, we believe these arrests raise disturbing questions about the nexus between the Government of India and criminal gangs,” WSO President Danish Singh said on May 3, 2024.

He said according to reports, the individuals arrested belong to a gang in India whose leader has been in Indian prisons since 2014. to the “Bishnoi gang” based out of India.  The gang’s leader, Lawrence Bishnoi, has been incarcerated in Indian prisons since 2014. “How is an Indian criminal who has been in Indian prison since 2014 able to operate a gang targeting Sikhs in Canada for murder and extortion, on this scale?” he asked.

While the arrests are important, he said, “what’s even more important is identifying and bringing to justice those who directed these operations. It would seem that the trail leads to India’s embassies and consulates in Canada and directly to the Government of India.”

In September 2023, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said Pavan Kumar Rai, a top Indian diplomat, was expelled in response to Mr. Nijjar’s murder. Mr. Rai was the Canadian head of Indians foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing. The move led to India expelling a senior Canadian diplomat in response and the deterioration of relations between the two governments.

The Associated Press and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.