A leader in the B.C. Sikh community says he feels “vindicated” after three people were arrested in connection with the homicide of Surrey B.C. Gurdwara president Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed that Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karanpreet Singh were each charged with conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree murder.
The RCMP took the Indian nationals into custody on Friday morning, almost a year after Nijjar was gunned down outside his gurdwara on June 18, 2023.
The suspects entered Canada on student visas but may have been working at the direction of Indian intelligence when they shot Nijjar, a source told Global News.
Supt. Mandeep Mooker, officer-in-charge of IHIT, told reporters at a press conference on Friday afternoon that all three of the people charged in connection with Nijjar’s death were living in Edmonton when they were arrested.
“This investigation does not end here,” he said.
“We are aware others may have played a role in this homicide and we will be locating and arresting these individuals.”
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety said in a press conference Friday morning that the arrests are part of “an ongoing police operation” and he would not comment further.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke issued a statement thanking police for their efforts to solve the “horrifying, cowardly and deplorable” killing.
Locke went on to praise the community for its support and patience during the investigation.
“I am grateful for the strength and unity that has been demonstrated by all who have been affected by this heinous crime. Our thoughts remain with the family and loved ones of the victim,” she said.
'What's next?'
Moninder Singh, spokesperson for the B.C. Gurdwaras Council and a close friend of Nijjar, said there were mixed feelings in the community following the arrests.
“This is a bit of a relief that this has started. We have been waiting 10 months for something and this is a great step …and on the flip side, there is a bit of a feeling of like ‘what’s next?’” he said.
“The Indian involvement to our community is huge … These are the people who may have pulled the trigger or conspired against Hardeep, but what is India’s involvement? Their consulates, their embassy, their operatives here, and how were they directed by New Delhi at the end of the day?”
India, which alleges Nijjar was a member of a terrorist organization, has denied responsibility for his killing.
Singh described Nijjar, a plumber and a temple president, as an “upstanding citizen” who, along with his family, had been deeply involved in the B.C. Sikh community.
He said the arrests left the community feeling “vindicated,” following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of a ‘credible’ potential link to the Indian government, and on the heels of a U.S. indictment in a similar alleged assassination plot south of the border.
RCMP said Friday it was continuing to investigate the possibility of links between he suspects and the government of India.
“The community has been talking about this for 40 years, and now I think all Canadians are seeing how deep India’s interference in Canada is,” Singh said.
Prior to his murder, Nijjar, a prominent advocate for an independent Sikh state of Khalistan, had been the subject of a “duty to warn” notification by INSET, the national security division of the RCMP.
Singh said Nijjar was one of five people who had received similar warnings in July 2022.
Global News spoke with another alleged recipient of such a warning in September, who was also working on a referendum for Khalistan independence.
Gurmeet Singh Toor described suspicious activity around his home, including people taking photographs of his property.
“The reality of those warnings are very clear now as well after Hardeep’s assassination, that they are very real and those threats can be very real. You deal with them, but silence isn’t an option, inaction isn’t an option to us,” Singh said.
“We feel like we are struggling for our life right now within India and how they are persecuting us there. If they can come to Canadian soil and kill Canadian citizens here, just imagine what they have done and what they can do in India with minorities.”
Singh said the community feels its questions won’t be answered until there is a dedicated national inquiry to probe allegations of Interference in Canada.