Three Indian nationals have been apprehended by Canadian law enforcement in connection with the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
These individuals, residing in Canada as non-permanent residents, allegedly fulfilled various roles during the incident at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, where Nijjar was fatally shot.
Mandeep Mooker, an RCMP superintendent, disclosed that the individuals in question, Karan Brar, Karanpreet Singh, and Kamalpreet Singh, all in their twenties, were apprehended in Edmonton.
Mooker further asserted that investigations are underway to determine any potential links between the suspects and the Indian government.
Earlier last year, Canada blamed India for authorising the assassination of Khalistani terror Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, setting off a diplomatic row between New Delhi and Ontario that saw the return of at least 40 Canadian diplomats working in India.
India had vehemently denied allegations of ‘Indian agencies behind Nijjar killing’ and called them “absurd” and “motivated”.
While Canada continues to blame ‘Indian agents’ for commissioning a hit squad to take down Nijjar, it has failed to provide credible evidence that linked the assassination of the Sikh separatist leader with the Indian government.
Moreover, one of the three arrested in connection with the murder had harboured anti-Modi, pro-Khalistani tendencies, as per media reports and his Facebook page. According to a report published in Jagran, Karan Brar, one of the three arrested suspects arrested by Canada Police, hails from Kotkapura city in the Faridkot district of Punjab. This suspect had travelled to Canada on a study visa approximately four and a half years ago.
Interestingly, a Facebook account named Karan Brar matches the description and details mentioned in the Jagran report. Below attached is the screenshot of Karan Brar’s Facebook profile. In the About section, Karan mentions that he lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and is from Kotkapura in Punjab, which matches the details in the Jagran report.
Karan is the only son of his parents. His father, Mandeep Singh Brar, passed away due to a heart attack just on April 18th this year. Meanwhile, his mother, Ramandeep Brar, had also shifted to Singapore about two and a half years ago. Brar had recently shared a post mourning the death of his father, Mandeep Singh Brar.
Karan Brar’s anti-Modi, pro-Khalistani posts
However, what is interesting is the fact that Brar has posted anti-Modi and pro-Khalistani content on his Facebook profile page. In one of the posts he uploaded in 2020, Brar had called for boycotting PM Modi.
The posts were made in the wake of the ‘farmer protest’ in India following the passage of three farm laws. The ‘farmer protest’ witnessed large-scale violence as the rabble-rousers, a significant section of those supporting Khalistan, hijacked the protests and ran riot across different parts of the country. Several notable personalities, including PM Modi and actor Kangana Ranaut, had come under the attack of the farm protest sympathisers, with many of them such as Karan Brar, calling for their ostracisation with boycott calls.