TORONTO: In their first in-person court appearance on Tuesday, four Indian nationals arrested in connection with the murder of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June last year, were ordered by a judge not to have any contact with seven persons in the Indo-Canadian community.
The seven people that the accused should not contact are three members of Nijjar’s family and four others.
While three accused – Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and Karanpreet Singh (28) – appeared in person in the Surrey provincial court in red prison uniform, the fourth accused Amandeep Singh (22) – who is in jail in Toronto in another weapons-related case – appeared before the judge by video link.
Judge Mark Jette told the four accused through interpreters that they are under no-contact order till their next appearance on June 25.
While Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh were arrested from Edmonton on May 3, Karanpreet Singh (who is already in jail) was implicated in the Nijjar case on May 11.
Outside the court, supporters of pro-Khalistan Sikhs for Justice and some members of the local Sikh community protested with anti-India, anti-Modi placards, calling the four accused the `foot soldiers’ of India.
Nijjar, who came to Canada illegally in February 1997 on a fake passport under the name of `Ravi Sharma, filed for a refugee status and later entered into a marriage to get permanent status, was shot dead on June 18 last year in the parking lot of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. Nijjar was elected president of this gurdwara in January 2019.
India had labelled him a terrorist and issued warrants against him in connection with a 2007 bombing case.
In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a statement in Parliament, linking India to the killing of Nijjar.
India rejected the charges, asking Ottawa to give proof of it.
All the four accused in the Nijjar case came to Canada on student visas.
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