The Canadian police arrested three Indian nationals on May 3, allegedly members of a ‘hit squad’, in connection with the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023.

“On the morning of May 3, 2024, IHIT investigators, with the assistance of members from the BC (British Columbia) and Alberta RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and the Edmonton Police Service, arrested three men for the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.” read the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) statement.

The statement revealed the name of the arrested as 22-year-old Karan Brar of Edmonton; 22-year-old Kamalpreet Singh of Edmonton; and 28-year-old Karanpreet Singh of Edmonton.

On the Indian connection of Nijjar’s killing, assistant commissioner David Teboul said, “We are not able to make any comments about the nature of the evidence collected by police nor can we speak about the motive behind the murder of Mr Nijjar. However, understanding this situation has attracted considerable and very broad public interest, I will say this matter is still very much under active investigation.”

“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 to the Government of India,” Teboul added.

The IHIT also identified the vehicle believed to be used by the suspect in the time leading up to the homicide, a Toyota Corolla.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the head of the Sikhs for Justice, and a  Canadian Sikh separatist leader involved with the Khalistan movement, was shot dead near a Gurudwara in Canada’s Surrey on June 18, 2023.

The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, later spoke about India’s involvement in the killing, sparking a diplomatic row between the two nations.

India had refuted the allegations, terming them ‘baseless’.

Also read:

Information on Nijjar’s killing was provided to Canada by a ‘Five Eyes’ ally: Report

Pro-Khalistani protests held outside Indian diplomatic missions in Canada