Canadian Police Detain Three in Connection with the Murder of a Sikh Separatist, Leading to Tensions with India

Three individuals were arrested in connection with the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in Vancouver, British Columbia last June. The suspects, Kamalpreet Singh, Karan Brar, and Karampreet Singh, all Indian nationals in their 20s, were apprehended in Edmonton, Alberta. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s comments alleging Indian government involvement in the slaying led to diplomatic tensions between Canada and India. The suspects, who were non-permanent residents in Canada, are being investigated for possible ties to the Indian government. The three men are expected to face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in British Columbia. The slain leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was a prominent figure in the Sikh separatist movement seeking an independent homeland called Khalistan. The movement, which saw a period of insurgency in the 1970s and 1980s, still has supporters in India and abroad.