The three Indian men arrested in connection with the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar is believed to be linked to gangster Lawrence Bishoi.
"The arrested men could be part of an alleged hit squad tasked by the government of India," reported Canadian news site CBC News.
The arrested men-Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karan Brar- had entered Canada on student visas. The alleged hit squad played various roles as shooters, drivers and spotters on the day Nijjar was killed at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey of British Columbia, according to sources.
Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in India established links between Lawrence Bishnoi's gang and pro-Khalistani groups that operate abroad.
Each arrested faces one count of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to murder in Nijjar's death. Reportedly, the three youths, all in their 20s, were arrested during police operations in at least two provinces, say media reports. The investigators identified the alleged hit squad members in Canada a few months ago and have been keeping them under surveillance.
According to court records, Brar has been charged with a murder that occurred in Surrey on June 18, 2023. He also faces a charge of conspiracy to murder on May 1, 2023, in Edmonton and Surrey, the report said.
The Nijjar killing has sparked diplomatic tensions between Canada and India. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that the Indian government had told Canada that India had nothing to do with the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar, who was a Canadian citizen, was gunned down outside his gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023. He was designated a terrorist by the NIA in 2020.
