Canadian court grants bail to 4 Indians arrested in Nijjar murder case

All four Indian nationals arrested in connection with the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar were granted bail by a Canadian court. They will be waiting for a trial in the Supreme Court of Canada, which will begin next month. 

 

Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh and Amandeep Singh were arrested by Canada's Royal Canadian Mounted Police in connection with the Nijjar murder probe in May last year. They were charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

 

The Surrey Provincial Court granted them bail ahead of the trial in British Columbia Supreme Court, with next hearing scheduled for February 11. 

(Source: justice.gov.bc.ca)

   

An interim publication ban, requested by the Crown and agreed to by the defence, restricts public access to updates on case management discussions and pre-trial motions.

 

The Canadian government has issued a "direct indictment," moving the case from Surrey Provincial Court to the British Columbia Supreme Court. This process skips a preliminary inquiry, fast-tracking the case to trial.

  Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a wanted Khalistani terrorist in India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. In September the same year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged credible evidence of Indian government's involvement in Nijjar's killing, a India that India has repeatedly dismissed.

 

Trudeau’s allegations led to tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats by both countries and strained bilateral relations.  Despite making grave allegations against the Indian government, Canada has not shared evidence with New Delhi in connection with the case. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is open to an investigation if Canada has any evidence or information related to any violence which is relevant to be investigated in India.