Canadian Police on Friday said they have arrested three Indians they suspect were part of the alleged hit squad that had killed Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year.

Nijjar’s killing had become the epicentre of a diplomatic row between India and Canada last year after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the role of “Indian agents” in the murder. India had rejected the charge as “absurd” and “motivated”.

The three arrested Indians – Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, Karanpreet Singh, 28 – were living as non-permanent residents in Alberta for three to five years, said Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, who leads the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

They have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, showed court documents.

Read | India Cooperating With Canada In Hardeep Nijjar Murder Probe: Trudeau Aide

Police said that none of the suspects were known to them earlier and they were investigating their possible ties to the Indian government.

The murder remains “very much under active investigation,” Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Assistant Commissioner David Teboul told a press conference on Friday.

“There are separate and distinct investigations ongoing into these matters, certainly not limited to the involvement of the people arrested today, and these efforts include investigating connections to the government of India,” CTV News quoted him as saying.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who was wanted in India on various terror charges, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023. Trudeau’s charge against India sparked a massive row later that year with both countries expelling diplomats of the other country.

Read | “Fabricated”: India Dismisses Report On ‘Secret Memo’ Naming Hardeep Nijjar

A fresh row erupted earlier this week after separatist slogans on ‘Khalistan’ were raised at an event addressed by Trudeau, prompting New Delhi to summon their Deputy High Commissioner and lodge a strong protest.

On the sidelines of the event, Trudeau told reporters that Nijjar’s killing had created a “problem” that he could not have ignored.

India rejected his comment and said it once again showed Canada provides political space given to separatism, extremism, and violence. “This not only impacts India-Canada relations but also encourages a climate of violence and criminality in Canada to the detriment of its own citizens,” foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

With Rahul Gandhi deciding to contest the Raebareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh as well, there were mixed reactions from people in Kerala’s Wayanad.

Elections were held in Wayanad Lok Sabha seat on April 26. While some people said there was nothing wrong for him to contest Raebareli too, there were some who said it was wrong on his part.

At a wayside shop in Wayanad, one person said there was nothing wrong with Mr Gandhi’s decision to contest from two seats. “He is leading the INDIA bloc and hence there is nothing wrong in it,” while another said, “if he wins from both the seats, it’s most likely that he will vacate the Wayanad seat.”

“If he does that, then it might not look good for us. Anyway let us wait,” said another.

However, veteran Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader PK Kunhalikutty said there was nothing wrong at all in his decision to contest from Raebareli as well.

“The fact of the matter is we (IUML) requested the Congress party’s national leadership that Rahul should contest from one more seat other than Wayanad. Did not PM Modi contest from two seats in the past? We feel that this decision will be a boost for the INDIA bloc,” said Mr Kunhalikutty.

Rahul Gandhi won the 2019 polls from Wayanad but lost the Amethi seat in Uttar Pradesh. This time at Wayanad, he was pitted against CPI leader Annie Raja and state BJP president K. Surendran.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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