Canadian police have arrested three Indian nationals in connection with the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the Punjabi-dominated city of Surrey in the British Columbia province on June 18 last year.
They have been identified as Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28, all Indian nationals, currently residing in Edmonton, the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta.
Canadian authorities have stated that the investigation has not concluded but indicated that many are involved in the assassination.
"The three are believed by investigators to be members of an alleged hit squad tasked by the government of India with the killing of Nijjar," Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, Officer in Charge of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) said.
Meanwhile, the US, Canada, and UK are contemplating a plan to designate key Indian intelligence figures, such as NSA Ajit Doval, as unwelcome persons following probes by US and Canadian governments revealing allegations that senior Indian officials directed assassinations of Sikh leaders in Canada.
Nijjar was associated with the separatist organization Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which is banned in India.
Ties between India and Canada strained following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of the 'potential' involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
However, India dismissed Canada’s charges as 'absurd' and 'motivated.'