A fourth person has been arrested and charged in connection to the shooting death of B.C. Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) announced Saturday that Amandeep Singh, 22, has been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in Nijjar’s killing.
The Indian national lived in Brampton, Surrey and Abbotsford, and was already in custody for unrelated firearms charges out of Peel, Ont.
“This arrest shows the nature of our ongoing investigation to hold responsible those that played a role in the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” said Supt. Mandeep Mooker of IHIT.
On May 3, three other Indian nationals were arrested in Edmonton in relation to the killing — almost a year after Nijjar was gunned down at the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Surrey, B.C.
Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karan Brar, 22, have been charged with murder and conspiracy.
At the time of their arrest, police said they believed others may have been involved.
Nijjar was a prominent figure in the Khalistan movement, which seeks independence for India’s Sikh-majority Punjab state. India has portrayed supporters of the movement as a threat to national security.
The arrests have led to questions about the immigration status of the accused men.
At least one of the accused, Brar, entered Canada using a study permit that he obtained within days of applying and was at school in 2020.
Last September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stood up in Parliament and said there was evidence linking Nijjar’s killing to “agents of the Indian government.” India has denied the allegations.
With files from Stewart Bell and Jeff Semple