Hardeep Singh Nijjar Killing: Canadian Police release images of accused, other evidence
Hardeep Singh Nijjar Killing: Canadian Police release images of accused, other evidence
In the midst of an ongoing investigation into possible ties to the Indian government, Canadian police on May 4 made public images of all three people arrested in connection with the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.
The three guys, who are all citizens of India, were identified by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in a statement as Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karan Brar, 22, along with their respective photos. In Alberta’s Edmonton City, the three were taken into custody.
The three men were detained on the morning of May 3 by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of Surrey, RCMP, along with members of the British Columbia and Alberta RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service. The men were charged with the June 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb. This information was released on Friday (local time) by the IHIT.
In connection with the incident, the three have now been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The Canadian police have published images of the automobile they think the suspects used in the period before the murder, in and around the Surrey region, in addition to images of the three accused.
RCMP Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, who oversees the Federal Policing Programme in the Pacific Region, stressed the ongoing nature of the Nijjar murder investigation to media at a press conference on Friday.
“Three suspects have been arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in the killing of Nijjar…. We are not able to make any comments on the nature of evidence… Nor can we speak behind the motive of murder of Nijjar… However, I will say this matter is very much under active investigation,” he said.
“There are separate and distinct investigations ongoing into these matters, certainly not limited to the involvement of the people arrested today, and these efforts include investigating connections to the government of India,” he added.
India has always denied any role in the execution of Nijjar, calling the accusations made against it “absurd and motivated.” This March, a video of Nijjar’s murder went viral, showing him being murdered by armed men in what has been called a “contract killing.”
Diplomatic tensions arose between Canada and India following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation that India was complicit in Nijjar’s death, an allegation that India has categorically rejected. The RCMP is still looking for the reason for Nijjar’s death, and the investigation into his murder is still open.