Canadian authorities arrested Amardeep Singh, a fourth man, on May 11 in connection with the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The news was announced by British Columbia’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). Amardeep Singh, a twenty-two-year-old resident of Brampton, Surrey, and Abbotsford areas of Canada, stands accused of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Prior to the arrest of Singh, three others were taken into custody regarding Nijjar’s death on May 3. These individuals were Karanpreet Singh (28), Kamalpreet Singh (22), and Karan Brar (22), all residing in Edmonton, Alberta at the time of the arrest.
Nijjar, a known Khalistani separatist advocating for an independent homeland for Sikh people, was shot dead on June 18, 2023, outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. Indian authorities previously accused Nijjar of leading a terrorist group, the “Khalistan Tiger Force,” which was responsible for a 2007 cinema bombing in Punjab. In 2016, Indian agencies also accused Nijjar of operating a terror camp in British Columbia with alleged plans to carry out attacks in Punjab. However, Nijjar denied these allegations prior to his death.
The murder of Nijjar led to an escalation in tensions between the governments of Canada and India. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged potential involvement by the Indian government in the murder and called for cooperation in the ongoing investigation into Nijjar’s killing. Given the contentious context, India blocked access on YouTube to a Canadian investigative documentary focusing on India’s alleged role in the Sikh activist’s murder.