Canadian police on Friday arrested three members of an alleged hit squad linked to the murder Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police named the three men as Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karan Brar, 22.
“We’re investigating their ties, if any, to the Indian government,” RCMP superintendent Mandeep Mooker said at a press conference.
Investigators had identified the suspects in Canada some months ago and had been keeping them under tight surveillance.
The alleged members of the hit squad purportedly assumed various roles as shooters, drivers, and spotters during Nijjar’s assassination. The men were arrested earlier in the day during police operations in at least two provinces.
Canadian police said they had worked with US law enforcement agencies on the case, and suggested more arrests might be coming.
“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,” said assistant RCMP commissioner David Teboul.
Nijjar (45) was gunned down on June 18, 2023, shortly after evening prayers at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking at a Khalsa Day event in Toronto, mentioned the challenges posed by Nijjar’s assassination in British Columbia last year, reiterating his earlier assertions regarding the involvement of Indian agents in the assassination.
India rebuffed Trudeau’s remarks, asserting that such comments underscored Canada’s tolerance for separatism, extremism, and violence.
“PM Trudeau has made such remarks earlier as well. His remarks illustrate once again the political space that has been given in Canada to separatism, extremism, and violence,” India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said while responding to Trudeau’s claims.
