In the wake of the killing of a Khalistan separatist, the Canadian police nabbed three Indian nationals

Canadian police arrested 3 Indian nationals for allegedly being part of a hit squad that killed Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, straining ties with India over suspected government involvement.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have arrested three Indian nationals - Karan Brar 22, Kamalpreet Singh 22, and Karanpreet Singh 28 - who are suspected of being involved in the June 2023 murder of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia.

IHIT - the team that is in charge of the investigation - believes that the three men were part of the suspected hit squad employed by the Indian government to accomplish the murder of Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who is also wanted in India on terrorism charges. Investigators on the other hand, said that the case is not closed yet as "others" were also involved and they are still looking into possible links with the Indian government.

"The investigation does not end with the arrest of you one. We know there are others who were involved in the murder, and we are determined to identify and arrest each one of them," said the IHIT officer Mandeep Mooker.

The terrible accusations have caused a huge damage to the relationships between Canada and India. In September 2013, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau held India responsible for the action of its agents in Nijjar’s killing. India rejected the charges as “absurd” and “motivated”.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police officials who addressed the press conference linked to the arrests said they cannot comment on the motive or type of evidence but confirmed that separate investigations are going on to look into the role of the Indian government. He mentioned that the problem of coordination with India was "challenging and hard".

The three suspects who were studying in Canada and held 3-5 year visas were arrested on Friday after months of monitoring. They have been indicted for first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. IHIT published the photos and requested the public for further assistance.

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The case has sparked an outcry in Canada's Sikh community, which Mooker credited for providing crucial information. Unconfirmed reports also link the alleged hit squad to three other murders in Canada.

As investigations continue, the shocking case risks further inflaming diplomatic tensions between the two Commonwealth nations over Canada's stance on Sikh separatism.