Three men were arrested on Friday and charged with killing a Sikh leader in British Columbia, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accusing India of orchestrating tensions between the two countries.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh nationalist and Canadian citizen, was shot dead by two masked assailants in a Surrey, B.C., temple parking lot last June, according to police. , he was president at the time.
Three men, all Indian citizens in their 20s, were arrested in Edmonton, Alberta, and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Police said the men had lived in Canada for three to five years and were not permanent residents, but would not comment on their immigration status.
RCMP Assistant Commissioner David Teboul said several other investigations are ongoing, including exploring links to Indian government involvement, adding that relationships with Indian investigative partners have been challenging.
Nijjar is a leader of the local Khalistan movement, which aims to establish an independent Sikh state in India, including northern Punjab.
According to Indian media reports, Nijar was born in Punjab and moved to Canada during the intense period of India’s crackdown on Sikh leaders in the 1990s. He is the leader of the Guru Nanak Sikh Guru Temple in Surrey, a city outside Vancouver that has one of the largest Sikh populations in Canada.
The Indian government labeled Mr Nijar a terrorist in 2020 and called for his arrest.
Trudeau’s killing sparked a diplomatic conflict between Canada and India after he accused India of complicity in the killings on Canadian soil. The Indian government strongly denied the accusation, leading both countries to expel senior diplomats.
Nijar was one of several members of the Sikh community warned by the RCMP of threats to their lives.
Federal New Democratic Party leader Tammy Singh Singh, who represents a riding in British Columbia, testified last month at a foreign interference inquiry that police also warned him his life might be in danger.
The public inquiry released its interim report last September after Trudeau faced growing political pressure to investigate allegations that countries including China and India interfered in Canada’s elections.
The report found that Indian intelligence officials used Canadian proxies to influence communities and politicians, particularly the Khalistani movement.
Balpreet Singh Boparai, a lawyer with a Toronto law firm, said the man accused of killing Nijjar would not be held accountable if Indian officials involved in the killing and other interference were not held accountable. The arrest will bring little comfort to the Sikh community.
“We just hope Canada has the courage to be transparent and find out who is behind this,” he said.
Police investigating Nijar’s murder last year have revealed few developments beyond a map outlining the getaway vehicle’s route and some grainy images of the attackers.
In December, sources at Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail said arrests were imminent, but the past few months have left some in the community concerned that the first anniversary of Mr. Nijar’s death in June will be celebrated without any resolution. The situation passed.
Mihika Agarwal contributed reporting from Surrey, British Columbia.
