Canadian police have arrested three suspects in the killing last year of Canadian citizen and Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, according to Canadian media reports on Friday.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported that police arrested three men who are facing first-degree murder and conspiracy charges.
The men are reportedly accused of being shooters, drivers and spotters on the day Nijjar was killed outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver with a large Sikh population.
Canada accused India of potentially being linked to Nijjar’s death, sparking row
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last year that his government was investigating “credible allegations” that Indian government agents had been involved in Nijjar’s death.
India had labeled Nijjar, 45, a “terrorist” over his advocacy for an independent Sikh state. He was gunned down by masked attackers in June 2023. The accusation shocked the Sikh community in Canada, who make up roughly 2% of Canada’s population.
Nijjar was an outspoken supporter for the creation of a separate Sikh state known as Khalistan, a movement that saw violent clashes between supporters and the Indian government in the 1970s and 1980s. The movement is outlawed in India.
Canada’s accusation led to tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions. At the height of tensions, India suspended visa services for Canadian citizens.
More to come…
rm/nm (Reuters, AFP)
The post Canada police make arrests over killing of Sikh activist appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
