Canada authorities arrest fourth man in Sikh separatist slaying News
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Canada authorities arrest fourth man in Sikh separatist slaying

Canadian authorities arrested a fourth man in connection to the murder of prominent Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. British Columbia’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) announced that Amardeep Singh was arrested on May 11 for his participation in the killing. Amardeep is a twenty-two-year-old resident of the Brampton, Surrey, and Abbotsford areas of Canada. He has been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

The arrest of Singh comes after three other individuals were arrested for Nijjar’s death on May 3. The arrested individuals were identified as Karanpreet Singh (28), Kamalpreet Singh (22), and Karan Brar (22), all of whom were residing in Edmonton, Alberta at the time of the arrest.

Nijjar was a Khalistani separatist, whose political views included calling for the creation of Khalistan—an independent homeland for Sikh people. Nijjar 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 called “Khalistan Tiger Force,” which they claimed was responsible for a 2007 cinema bombing in Punjab. In 2016 Indian intelligence agencies also accused Nijjar of operating a terror camp in British Columbia to carry out attacks in Punjab. Nijjar refuted the allegations before he was murdered, however, and his death has heightened tensions between the governments of Canada and India.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously accused the government of India of involvement in the murder of the Sikh community leader and called for cooperation from the Indian government in the ongoing investigation into Nijjar’s killing. On their side, India blocked access on YouTube and X to a Canadian investigative documentary focused on the alleged involvement of the Indian government in the murder of the Sikh activist. 

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