The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on Friday announced the arrest of 3 Indian men suspected of murdering prominent Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The arrested individuals have been identified as Karanpreet Singh (28), Kamalpreet Singh (22), and Karan Brar (22), all of whom were residing in Edmonton, Alberta at the time of the arrest.
Nijjar was shot dead on June 18, 2023, outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. Indian authorities previously accused Nijjar of leading a terrorist group called “Khalistan Tiger Force,” which they claimed was responsible for a 2007 cinema bombing in Punjab. In 2016 Indian intelligence agencies also accused Nijjar of operating a terror camp in British Columbia to carry out attacks in Punjab. Nijjar refuted the allegations before he was murdered, however, and his death has heightened tensions between the governments of Canada and India.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously accused the government of India of involvement in the murder of the Sikh community leader and called for cooperation from the Indian government in the ongoing investigation into Nijjar’s killing. On their side, India blocked access on YouTube and X to a Canadian investigative documentary focused on the alleged involvement of the Indian government in the murder of the Sikh activist.
According to Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, the 3 suspects have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The arrests are a precipitation of investigative work for over 10 months. He also thanked the RCMP national security program for its unparalleled work ethic and dedication to serving the country in the current investigations.
Assistant Commissioner David Teboul stated that the police were not able to comment on the evidence collected by the police nor the motive behind the murder but noted that the matter is “still under very active investigation.” He added:
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 this matter, certainly not limited to the involvement of the people arrested today, and these efforts include investigating connections to the government of India … Today’s enforcement actions demonstrate our relentless commitment and ability to combat the sophisticated and complex criminal threats facing our nation.
The RCMP has promised to investigate if there are any ties between the Indian government and the arrested individuals. They have also guaranteed to continue the investigations as others are suspected of having played a role in the murder of Nijjar.
