Indian news outlets falsely reported Thursday that the suspects accused of murdering B.C. Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar had been released.
Although all four Indian nationals charged with the killing remain in pre-trial custody, dozens of Indian media outlets wrongly reported they had been freed.
Global News has confirmed there is no truth to the news reports, which come amid an onslaught of Indian disinformation about Canada.
“Yes, all suspects are still in custody as the case has moved to Supreme Court,” said Cpl. Arash Seyed, an RCMP spokesperson in B.C.
Sgt. Freda Fong, spokesperson for the RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, also confirmed that “all four accused are still in custody.”
The B.C. Supreme Court said the suspects remained in detention, and were scheduled to appear at the New Westminster courthouse on Feb. 11.
But India Today, the Times of India, the Hindustan Times and many other prominent Indian news sources were among those claiming the alleged killers were no longer being held.
On a video on its YouTube channel, which has almost 10 million subscribers, India Today called the supposed release of the suspects “hugely embarrassing for Canada.”
“Court documents examined by India Today reveal that all four of the men were released,” reported the outlet, which has over six million followers on X.
The Hindustan Times reported the accused were released “days after Justin Trudeau announced he was stepping down as prime minister amid discontent over his leadership.”
Some of the reports claimed the charges had been “stayed” at the request of the government, while others said the Supreme Court of Canada had granted them bail.
How they all got it wrong remains unclear, but the error appears to stem from erroneous social media posts and a lack of understanding of Canada’s court system.
The World Sikh Organization of Canada condemned the incident.
“The purpose of this widespread disinformation campaign is to create confusion and distrust in the Canadian government and legal system and ultimately showcases a calculated effort to mislead, manipulate, and undermine trust in Canadian institutions,” it said in a statement.
A prominent activist whom India had labeled a terrorist, Nijjar was gunned down outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Surrey, B.C., on June 18, 2023.
The investigation soon pointed to the involvement of the Indian government, prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to accuse New Delhi of violating Canadian sovereignty.
Last May, the RCMP charged four Indian nationals with Nijjar’s murder: Karan Brar, Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Sigh and Amandeep Singh.
The RCMP and Canadian officials have since accused the Indian government of orchestrating the killing, as well as other shootings, arsons and extortions across the country.
Many of the attacks targeted Canadian supporters of the Khalistan movement that seeks independence for India’s Sikh-majority Punjab state.
The Indian government operation was allegedly approved by Modi’s right-hand man, Amit Shah, and overseen by Indian intelligence officials, who contracted crime groups such as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to carry out the attacks.
Canada expelled six diplomats over their role in the scheme last fall. India has denied involvement.
According to the Canadian government, India has the second-most active foreign interference campaign against Canada, behind only China.