Canada arrests fourth Indian national in killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Vancouver, as per an AFP report. Amandeep Singh, aged 22, who was already under detention for unrelated gun charges, now faces charges of "first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder" in Nijjar's alleged "assassination", it added. This follows the recent arrests of three other Indian nationals in connection with the same case.
The incident has ignited diplomatic tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau implied that Indian intelligence was involved in the alleged "assassination" plot. Nijjar was fatally shot on June 18, 2023, by masked individuals in the parking lot of the Sikh temple he presided over in suburban Vancouver. Nijjar was a Khalistani advocate demanding a separate Sikh state in India.
He migrated to Canada in 1997 and obtained citizenship in 2015. Allegations against him included "terrorism" and conspiracy to commit murder, levelled by the Indian government. Nijjar, however, consistently denied it, the report added.
Canada is home to approximately 770,000 Sikhs, comprising around two percent of the nation's population. Within this community, there exists a vocal minority advocating for the establishment of Khalistan as an independent state. Trudeau has claimed Canada has "credible allegations" linking Indian intelligence to Nijjar's killing.
This led to a sharp response from India, resulting in temporary visa restrictions for Canadians and the recall of diplomats. In a related development, the US Justice Department has also charged an Indian citizen residing in the Czech Republic with plotting a similar assassination attempt on US soil. Court documents indicated the involvement of an Indian government official in the planning.
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