Canadian Police may arrest suspected killers of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar 'within weeks': Report

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) may arrest two men suspected to be responsible for the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was killed in a targeted shooting by unidentified gunmen at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara in Canada's Surrey province in June this year. Nijjar was included in a list of 40 designated terrorists released by the Indian government in 2020.

The suspects are under police surveillance at present and expected to be arrested "in a matter of weeks", news agency PTI reported citing The Globe and Mail newspaper. The report further said citing sources that the two suspects did not leave Canada after Nijjar's killing and have been under police surveillance for several months.

Tensions began between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in September that there is a "potential" involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Nijjar in June this year.

India rejected Trudeau's allegations as being "absurd" and "politically motivated". External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also told the Rajya Sabha that Canada has not given any proof or inputs with India to substantiate its allegations.

The police will give details regarding the alleged involvement of these suspects and their connection to the Indian government upon filing of formal charges, as per the report.

“Within the community, there’s a sense of closure that might come with the two people being arrested like it’s being said,” Moninder Singh, spokesperson of BC Gurdwaras Council, told the Global News.

Months after Trudeau's allegations against India, a US indictment in November outlined an alleged foiled plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The US federal prosecutors said that a person named Nikhil Gupta was working with an Indian government employee on the foiled plot to kill Pannun. The Centre has already constituted an investigation committee to look into the allegations by the US prosecutors.

Last month, Indian High Commissioner in Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said India was "absolutely" and "decidedly" not involved in the killing of Nijjar. He also condemned Canada's haste regarding the matter before the investigation was completed in an interview to CTV News, Canada's largest privately owned TV news network.

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