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VANCOUVER: Police on Friday arrested three students – Kamalpreet Singh (22), Karanpreet Singh (28) and Karan Brar (22) – allegedly linked to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar who was shot dead in a gurdwara parking in Surrey in British Columbia last June.
The three accused are Indian nationals who came to Canada on student visas in 2021, police said.
In a press conference in Surrey near here on Friday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the three men were arrested in Edmonton. Police said while the two of the accused were arrested from their homes, the third was arrested from an unknown place.
As per documents filed by the RCMP in a Surrey court on Friday, the accused face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy.
Mandeep Mooker, who is heading the RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) probing the Nijjar killing, 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.”
RCMP Assistant Commissioner David Teboul said his force is “investigating connections (of the accused) to the government of India.”
When he was asked about the presence of any Indian “sleeper agents” in Canada, the police officer said, “I will say this matter is still very much under active investigation. I will underscore that today’s announcements are not a complete account of the investigative work currently underway.
“There are separate and distinct investigations, ongoing into these matters, certainly not limited to the involvement of the people arrested today. And these efforts include investigating connections with the Government of India.”
Canada’s Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc called Friday’s arrests “significant progress” in the Nijjar case, adding that “the work doesn’t end here. In fact, the work continues.”
Nijjar, 45, who came to Canada illegally, was killed by unidentified gunmen June 18 in the parking lot of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey.
In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in parliament that the “agents of the government of India” had a “potential link” to the killing of Nijjar and announced the expulsion of an Indian diplomat.
India denied the allegations as “absurd” and ordered the expulsion of Canadian diplomats and the suspension of visa services at its missions in Canada.
