Canadian Police Arrest Three in Sikh Separatist Leader Slaying

Three suspects have been arrested and charged in the slaying of 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader who was killed by masked gunmen in Surrey, British Columbia, last June.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Canadian police said Friday that they have made three arrests in the slaying of a Sikh separatist leader last June in suburban Vancouver that became the center of a diplomatic spat with India.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner David Teboul said three suspects have been arrested and charged in the slaying of 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar by masked gunmen in Surrey outside Vancouver.

Teboul said police could not comment on the nature of the evidence or the motive. "This matter is very much under active investigation," he said.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot multiple times as he sat in his car in a busy parking lot on June 14, 2022. He died at the scene.

Nijjar was a vocal supporter of an independent Sikh state in Punjab, a region of India. He was also active in the Sikh Youth Federation, a group that has been designated as a terrorist organization by India.

The killing of Nijjar sparked a diplomatic row between Canada and India. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in September that there were "credible allegations" of Indian involvement in the slaying.

India angrily denied involvement. India's foreign ministry said the allegations were "baseless" and "unsubstantiated."

The arrests come after a year-long investigation by the RCMP. Teboul said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are possible.

The suspects are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.