Three Indian nationals accused of killing Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023, have appeared before a Canadian court through video for the first time to face homicide charges in a case that has soured Canada-India relations.

Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28, all Indian nationals residing in Edmonton, were arrested and charged on May 3 with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

They appeared separately by video in front of a packed Surrey provincial courtroom on May 7 to acknowledge the charges of first-degree murder and conspiring to commit murder and to agree to have their cases adjourned to May 21 to give them time to consult with their lawyers, the Vancouver Sun newspaper reported.

The three believed to be members of an alleged hit squad appeared before the Surrey Provincial Court in British Columbia province, the report said.

Each of them appeared separately from North Fraser Pretrial Centre wearing jail-issued red T-shirts or sweatshirts and sweatpants.

Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Sikh activist whose killing has divided Canada and India?

Two of the accused appeared in the morning while Kamalpreet Singh’s appearance was delayed until after lunch to give him time to consult with a lawyer.

All three agreed to have the proceedings heard in English and each of them nodded that they understood the charges of first-degree murder and conspiring to murder Nijjar, the report said.

The court granted the Crown prosecutor’s request for a no-contact order naming seven people under a Canada Criminal Code section that bans the accused from communicating directly or indirectly with any of them.

Those named on the order are Nijjar’s son Balraj Nijjar, 21, and Harjinder Nijjar, Mehtab Nijjar, Sarandeep Sehaj, Harsimranjeet Singh, Arshdeep Kapoor and Malkit Singh, the report added.

The three accused men had a brief appearance before an adjudicator on May 4 for an interim judicial release hearing, after which they were kept in custody.

Their next step would be to have their lawyers apply for bail, said Surrey criminal and immigration lawyer Affan Bajwa, who has no connection to the case.

Mr. Bajwa said their chances of being released on bail would depend on whether their lawyers could make a strong case to the judge.

“I think it may be difficult for them to be released on bail because of a possible flight risk and risk to public safety,” he said.

Mr. Bajwa also said if the case goes ahead, the men would be tried in Canada and if found guilty of first-degree murder would have no chance of parole for at least 25 years.

If they are foreign nationals or permanent residents, as soon as they’re released, they would face a deportation hearing by the Canada Border Services Agency, he said.

If found not guilty, they could still be deported, according to a Supreme Court of Canada ruling in September in which the nine judges unanimously ruled that a foreign national could be deemed inadmissible to Canada on security grounds under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of “being a danger to the security of Canada,” according to Canadian Lawyer Magazine, the Vancouver Sun report said.

Hundreds of local Khalistan supporters showed up at the courthouse. A separate overflow room inside the courthouse was opened to accommodate an additional 50 people who wanted to witness the hearing.

Another 100 or so people outside the courthouse waved Khalistan flags and carried posters supporting Sikh separatism.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023.

The indictments May 3 allege the conspiracy unfolded in both Surrey and Edmonton between May 1, 2023, and the date of Nijjar’s killing.

The alleged hitmen entered Canada over the past five years and were suspected of involvement in the world of drug trafficking and violence, according to local police.

India had on May 2 rejected fresh comments by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the killing of Nijjar and said the remarks once again illustrated the political space given in Canada to separatism, extremism, and violence.

Mr. Trudeau addressed a Khalsa Day event in Toronto on May 5 that was attended by some pro-Khalistan supporters.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Mr. Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of 45-year-old Nijjar.

India has dismissed Mr. Trudeau’s charges as “absurd” and “motivated.” The presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada has long frustrated India, which had designated Nijjar a “terrorist.” The police suggested more arrests might be coming. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, the force’s commander for the Pacific region, said May 3 that he wouldn’t comment on the alleged links between the three men arrested and Indian officials but noted the force is “investigating connections to the government of India.” External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on May 4 said what is happening in poll-bound Canada over the killing of Nijjar is mostly due to their internal politics and has nothing to do with India.

He said a section of pro-Khalistan people are using Canada’s democracy, creating a lobby and have become a vote bank.

The ruling party in Canada has no majority in Parliament and some parties depend on pro-Khalistan leaders, he said.

“We have convinced them several times not to give visa, legitimacy or political space to such people which is causing problems for them [Canada], for us and also for our relationship,” Mr. Jaishankar said.

But the Canadian government has not done anything, Mr. Jaishankar said, adding that India sought the extradition of 25 people, most of whom are pro-Khalistan, but they did not pay any heed.

“Canada did not give any proof. They do not share any evidence with us in certain cases, police agencies also do not cooperate with us. It is their political compulsion in Canada to blame India. As elections are coming in Canada, they indulge in vote bank politics,” the Minister said.

Canada has shifted a number of its diplomats stationed at missions in India outside of New Delhi
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Canada has shifted a number of its diplomats stationed at missions in India outside of New Delhi to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, CTV news of Canada has reported citing sources.

The report came a day after External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed that the two sides were in conversation to ensure “parity” in the presence of diplomatic staff in each other’s missions. 

The Ministry is yet to comment on the report and the High Commission of Canada said it had “no comment” to offer. During the weekly press briefing held on Thursday, Mr. Bagchi did not confirm if India wanted evacuation of 41 Canadian diplomats as was reported by the Financial Times on October 3 but reiterated that Canada maintained “much higher” diplomatic presence in India. He said: “I would assume there would be a reduction.” 

Citing Canadian sources, CTV news reported on Friday that the issue was not about removing 41 diplomats but to address India’s call for “parity” in diplomatic staff. Movement of foreign diplomats from India to neighbouring countries is a rare development indicating nosediving relation between Ottawa and New Delhi. 

For more than a fortnight, India-Canada relation has been caught in an unprecedented crisis over the June 18 murder of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The matter took a dramatic turn when Prime Minister Trudeau took it up in the Canadian parliament and blamed Indian agents for being behind the murder. 

Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomats immediately after Mr. Trudeau made the statement in the House of Commons on September 18. India described the charge as “absurd” and hit back by expelling a senior Canadian diplomat from the Canadian High Commission here. Further, India also implemented a visa ban for Canadian citizens which, however, exempted owners of valid Indian visas and PIO-card holders. 

The Financial Times report, however, indicated an escalation in the crisis which came more or less simultaneously with a slew of comments by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who in his public comments in the U.S. referred to Canada giving space to extremists. 

Mr. Trudeau and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly has maintained that they were in talks with India with the latter maintaining that it was necessary for Canada to have diplomats on the ground in Delhi as relation between the two sides has hit an “extremely challenging time”.  

A Canadian flag flies in front of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. File.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Canada has updated travel advisory for its citizens in India asking them to “stay vigilant and exercise caution” in the context of recent developments as there are calls for protests and some “negative sentiment” towards Canada on social media.

Tensions flared between India and Canada following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s explosive allegations of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, on his country’s soil on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

Also read | The downward spiral in India-Canada ties

India angrily rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

“In the context of recent developments in Canada and in India, there are calls for protests and some negative sentiment towards Canada on social media. Please remain vigilant and exercise caution,” the Canadian government said in an update on Sunday.

This comes after New Delhi issued a similar advisory for Indian nationals and students living in Canada and halted visa services late last week, Global News reported.

On Monday, Canada accused the Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last June and expelled an Indian diplomat in Ottawa in retaliation.

Here are 5 points on Hardeep Singh Nijjar:

New Delhi:

India rejected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation that it played a role in the June killing of a Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar describing it as “absurd” and “motivated”.

India’s reaction came after Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging that the Indian government may have had links to the assassination of a Sikh leader in that country.

Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday said that his government had “credible allegations” linking Indian agents to the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom India had declared a wanted terrorist. Nijjar was killed on June 18 in Surrey.

“The involvement of any foreign government in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” Mr Trudeau told an emergency session of the parliamentary opposition.

He also called “in the strongest possible terms” on the Indian government to cooperate in clearing up the matter.

Here are the LIVE updates on Canada’s action against India:

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India Responds To Trudeau’s Charge On Khalistani Terrorist Killing
The Indian government “completely rejected” the Canadian PM’s allegations and said their political figures openly expressing sympathy for “such elements” remains a matter of deep concern.

“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said a foreign ministry statement.

Canada PM’s Big Charge On Khalistani Terrorist Killing
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had “credible allegations” linking Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing in June last year with the “agents of the Government of India”.