Hardeep Nijjar killing: Jaishankar reacts to arrest of 3 Indians
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar acknowledged that India is awaiting further details from Canadian law enforcement after three Indian nationals were arrested and charged over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. "We will have to wait for the police to tell us," Jaishankar stated during a meeting with senior journalists in Bhubaneswar. He added that the suspects "apparently are Indians of some kind of gang background."
Why does this story matter?
Canadian law enforcement arrested the three Indian nationals on Friday, almost a year after the killing of Sikh separatist leader Nijjar in Canada. Nijjar's killing had sparked a diplomatic spat between India and Canada last year after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the involvement of "Indian agents" in the assassination. Indian officials strongly refuted the charge, accusing Canada of sheltering "Khalistani terrorists and extremists." The diplomatic fallout saw the expulsion of senior diplomats from both countries.
Canadian police say investigations into Nijjar ongoing
On Friday, the Canadian police added that investigations into the Nijjar killing were ongoing, including "connections to the government of India." Nijjar's killing remains "very much under active investigation," it said. Jaishankar, however, steered the direction away from the Indian government, pointing to alleged organized crimes in Canada instead. "One of our concerns, which we have been telling them, is that, you know, they have allowed organized crime from India, specifically from Punjab, to operate in Canada," Jaishankar said.
Suspects face serious charges
The Indian nationals, identified as Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karan Brar, 22, were apprehended in Edmonton, Alberta, by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The three men are expected to be transferred to British Columbia by Monday morning. They are facing charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Nijjar was gunned down by masked gunmen in the parking lot of a gurdwara in British Columbia last June.
