2 weeks ago
Last Updated: May 03, 2024, 22:43 IST
Ottawa, Canada
A banner with the image of Hardeep Singh Nijjar was seen at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple, site of his June 2023 killing, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada September 20, 2023. (Reuters File Photo)
Canada and India had a major diplomatic row after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September linked New Delhi to the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, also a Sikh separatist
Canadian police have reportedly arrested members of an alleged hit squad linked to the killing of Khalishani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the province of British Columbia in June last year.
Members of the hit squad are alleged to have played different roles as shooters, drivers and spotters on the day Nijjar was killed at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported quoting sources.
The men were reportedly arrested on Friday. However, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were not immediately available for comment.
The alleged hit squad members were identified by Canadian authorities some months ago and investigators have been keeping them under tight surveillance, CBC sources said.
Canadian police are reportedly also investigating possible links to three additional murders, including the shooting death of an 11-year-old boy in Edmonton.
Canada and India had a major diplomatic row after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September linked New Delhi to the June killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, also a Sikh separatist.
New Delhi called the Canadian allegations “absurd.”
In an excerpt from a year-end interview with public broadcaster CBC, Trudeau said the US indictment appeared to have softened the Modi government’s stance toward Canada.
“I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they can’t bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before,” he said.
“There’s an understanding that maybe, maybe just churning out attacks against Canada isn’t going to make this problem go away.”
PM Modi also told the Financial Times that India was “deeply concerned about the activities of certain extremist groups based overseas”.
He added that “these elements, under the guise of freedom of expression, have engaged in intimidation and incited violence”.
With around five years of experience on the desk as well as reporting, Sanstuti Nath is a Senior Sub Editor at News18.com. She writes on Indian politi
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