Canadian police makes arrests in killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar: Report

The Canadian police has made arrests in connection with the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey last year, a CBC News report said.

Nijjar, a 45-year-old Canadian citizen, was attacked and shot multiple times in a gangland-style incident while leaving a gurdwara in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18, last year. Prior to the attack, Canadian Security Intelligence Service had allegedly cautioned him about potential threats to his life.

According to the report, members of the hit squad are alleged to have played different roles as shooters, drivers and spotters on the day Nijjar was killed. The men were arrested Friday during police operations in at least two provinces, it said.

As per an earlier report by Canadian daily The Globe and Mail, two individuals suspected of being involved in the shooting were reportedly under police surveillance and were anticipated to be apprehended by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

The ties between India and Canada have been strained after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s killing in the parking of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.

India, which had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020, has strongly rejected Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd” and “motivated.” Nijjar was the chief of the separatist organisation Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).

The accusation significantly impacted relations between Canada and India, leading to the suspension of free-trade discussions and a business trade mission by Ottawa, while the Indian government revoked diplomatic protections for 41 Canadian diplomats in India.

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