Canadian police announced on Saturday that a fourth suspect has been arrested in the assassination of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) revealed that Amandeep Singh has been apprehended and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy in the killing of Nijjar. The Canadian police stressed, "This arrest reflects our ongoing commitment to hold those responsible for Hardeep Singh Nijjar's murder accountable."
IHIT indicated that 22-year-old Indian citizen Amandeep Singh, residing in Brampton, Surrey, and Abbotsford, had already been in custody in Ontario for charges related to firearms.
Amandeep Singh is now the fourth person arrested, along with Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22), and Karanpreet Singh (28), all facing similar accusations surrounding Nijjar's murder.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was fatally shot outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada. He had been included on a list of 40 'designated terrorists' issued by the Indian government. The Canadian authorities believe that India is behind Nijjar's murder.
Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist and chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force, had been living in Canada for many years and fuelling Khalistani terrorism against India. Intelligence sources suggest that Nijjar became an even bigger headache for Indian investigative agencies in the past year since he began providing logistical support and funds to operatives of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang overseas.
When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited India in 2018, then-Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had handed him a list of Khalistani terrorists, including Nijjar. In 2020, India's Ministry of Home Affairs declared Nijjar a terrorist. He was also wanted by the police for a FIR registered against him in a bomb explosion outside a temple in Patiala in 2010. He faced multiple charges, including inciting violence and promoting terrorism.
The Indian government had declared Hardeep Singh Nijjar a 'designated terrorist.' The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had announced a reward of 10 lakhs for information leading to his capture.
Following Canada's allegations of Indian involvement in Nijjar's murder, India-Canadian relations suffered. India had previously accused Trudeau and his party of courting votes by appeasing Khalistanis.
India has recently responded to Trudeau's recent statements on Nijjar's murder, reflecting that separatism, extremism, and violence have a political space in Canada. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that PM Trudeau has made similar remarks before, which only show that Canada has given political space to extremism, radicalism, and violence. He suggested that this not only affects the relations between India and Canada but also encourages a culture of violence and crime in Canada.
