Canada police make arrests in Hardeep Nijjar killing case: Reports
Hardeep Nijjar killing case: In a key development in the murder case of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada police on Friday made arrests in the province of British Columbia, media reports stated citing sources directly familiar with the matter.
The source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case, stated that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police would brief the media later on Friday.
According to the report, Canadian police are looking into the possible links between the alleged shooters and three other killings in Canada.
CBC News reported on Friday, citing sources, that the arrested men arrived in Canada on temporary visas after 2021. They are alleged associates of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently imprisoned in India. Bishnoi is accused of plotting to kill popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in May 2022.
According to CTV News, the three people arrested are Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karan Brar, who are facing one count of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to murder.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in September that Canadian authorities were investigating allegations linking Indian government agents to the fatal shooting of Nijjar, who was a Canadian citizen. India, however, dismissed Trudeau's claim and termed them "absurd."
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, RCMP officers arrested members of an alleged hit squad. According to a source, investigators identified the suspects in Canada several months ago and have been keeping them under tight surveillance.
Sikh leader Nijjar was shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a sizable Sikh population.
- With inputs from our correspondent
