Sikh Leader Who Advocated for Separate Sikh State Shot Dead Outside Surrey, BC, Temple

Community members exit the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib temple in Surrey, B.C., on June 19, 2023. Jennifer Gauthier/The Canadian Press

The president of a Sikh temple in Surrey, B.C., who advocated for a Sikh state independent of India, was found murdered in his vehicle outside in the parking lot after evening prayers at his place of worship.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent member of the Sikh community, was fatally shot in what police have said is a targeted and deliberate killing, just before 8:30 p.m. local time on June 18, soon after prayers ended at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, a local temple.