Canadian police have arrested three men in connection with the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June last year. This was reported by the Canadian broadcaster CBC. The three arrested are charged with murder and conspiracy. They are believed to have been involved in the murder as shooters, drivers and spotters, according to CBC.
Nijjar, 45, was shot dead by men wearing face coverings in Surrey, a city with a large Sikh population 30 kilometers east of Vancouver. According to his family, he had previously received death threats. Nijjar was a leader of the Khalistan movement that seeks to establish the independent Sikh state of ‘Khalistan’ in the Punjab region of India. He was on the Indian terror list as leader of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) organization.
The murder led to a rift in the diplomatic relationship between Canada and India. In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was looking at “credible allegations that may link” the Indian state to Nijjar’s murder. Trudeau asked the Indian government for clarification about possible involvement, to which India angrily denied it, calling the accusation “absurd”. New Delhi accused Canada of harboring Sikh extremists who “continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Canadian police said Friday after the arrests that an investigation was underway into “connections with the government of India.”
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