Fourth arrest in Nijjar killing: Indian man in Canada on temp visa

THE CANADIAN authorities have arrested a fourth Indian national in connection with the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurudwara in British Columbia last June. This comes a week after three Indians, all in their 20s were arrested in the high-profile case that has strained relations between India and Canada.

According to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Amandeep Singh, 22, has been chargedwithfirst-degreemurder and conspiracy to commit murder.amandeep,whowasarrested onmay11forhisroleinthekilling of Nijjar, was already in the custodyofthepeelregionalpolicefor unrelated firearms charges, the IIHT said, adding the accused divideshistimebetweenbrampton, Ontario, Surrey, and Abbotsford, British Columbia.

Nijjar, 45, was killed outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023. “This arrest shows the nature of our ongoing investigationtoholdresponsiblethosethat played a role in the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” said Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, the Officer in Charge of IHIT. “IHIT pursued the evidence andgainedsufficientinformation for the British Columbia Prosecution Service to charge Amandeep Singh with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commitmurder,”thepolicestatement said. Investigators said no further details of the arrest can be released due to ongoing investigations and court processes.

The Global News reported that Amandeep is believed to be one of the two armed men who opened fire on Nijjar. The shooters were then seen running to a getaway car. Like his co-accused arrested earlier, Amandeep too had arrived in Canada on a temporary visa, but was allegedly involvedinviolentcrime,thesource said. The four hitmen are suspected to be linked with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, it added.

Amandeep was one of five men charged with firearms and drug offences following a traffic stop in Brampton by the Peel police Specialized Enforcement Bureau on November 3, 2023.

During the arrests, police seizedanfn5099mmpistolwith a 24-round extended magazine, and two extended magazines with24-roundcapacitiescontaining9mmammunition,policesaid at the time. IHIT investigators on May 3 arrested three Indian nationals — Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and Karanpreet Singh (28) — for the murder of Nijjar. All three are living in Edmonton.

PTI Amandeep Singh was already in custody in a separate case.