Canada charges three Indian nationals with murder of Sikh separatist

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Canadian authorities have arrested and charged three Indian nationals in the shooting death of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia last year, an event that heightened tensions between Ottawa and New Delhi.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they had arrested Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karan Brar in Edmonton, Alberta, on Friday. The three men were charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside Vancouver in June.

“We are investigating whether there are links to the Indian government,” RCMP Superintendent Mandeep Mooker told reporters. “There may be other people involved,” he added, stating that there are other ongoing investigations related to the murder.

Nijjar’s death complicated relations between Canada and India. Each country ordered the other to dismiss its diplomats and India temporarily stopped providing visas to Canadian citizens. Last September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” linking New Delhi to the assassination.

Police said they are collaborating with international partners, including agencies in the United States. Last year, authorities in Washington thwarted an attempt to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Sikh separatist who is a US and Canadian citizen, on US soil.

Nijjar was shot to death in a parking lot in the city of Surrey, where he ran a Sikh temple, or gurdwara.

The Indian government said he was a terrorist and part of a Sikh movement that wants to create an independent state of “Khalistan” in the Indian state of Punjab. New Delhi has called claims that she was involved in Nijjar’s death “absurd”.