The Canadian police on Friday arrested three men for the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, months after the crime triggered a diplomatic row between India and Canada.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in Canada’s Surrey. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau had accused the Indian government of involvement in the killing. New Delhi had called the allegation absurd.
What Canada police said on Nijjar murder suspects
- Those arrested have been identified as Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karan Brar, 22, the Canadian police said.
- Mandeep Mooker, an RCMP superintendent, told a televised news conference that they were invigating if the three alleged assailants had any ties to the “Indian government”.
- Assistant RCMP commissioner David Teboul said the police would further investigate the murder. He claimed others may have played a role in the murder.
- “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,” he said.
- The trio were arrested in Edmonton in Alberta. They are allegedly Indian nationals, according to the Canadian police.
- The three suspects were living in Canada on non-permanent resident permits.
- The Canadian police said they were speaking with their Indian counterparts over this.
- Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karan Brar face charges including first-degree murder and conspiracy.
- “There are separate and distinct investigations ongoing into these matters,” said Teboul.
- “These efforts include investigating connections to the government of India,” he added.
Also read: India rejects Justin Trudeau’s fresh statement on Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing
The National Investigation Agency of India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.
India had called Canada’s allegations baseless. Following the charge, New Delhi had asked Canada to remove 41 of its 62 diplomats in the country, accusing them of interference in India’s internal matters and citing diplomatic parity. Tensions remain but have somewhat eased since.
India maintains that Canada never provided any concrete evidence on Nijjar’s murder.
With inputs from Reuters, AP
