Canadian police arrest three people in connection with the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar

The killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh nationalist who sought to create a separate state in India and was considered a terrorist by New Delhi, sparked protests diplomatic tensions. between Canada and India.

Three Indian men have been charged with the brazen murder of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil, police announced Friday, a killing that sparked a clash with New Delhi after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused “agents of the Indian government” of orchestrating the shooting.

The Indian government called the claim "absurd" and took action that led Canada to withdraw more than 40 of its diplomats from the country. But amid these denials, Canada said it had “irrefutable proof,” supported by information from the United States. And a federal indictment in New York linked the Indian government to another murder-for-hire plot against another Sikh separatist.

The three men were arrested in Edmonton, Alberta, and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the killing of Sikh nationalist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. The suspects – Karan Brar, 22; Kamalpreet Singh, 22; and Karanpreet Singh, 28, had lived in Canada for three to five years but were not permanent residents of Canada, police said.

“This investigation does not don't stop there. ", said Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, head of the Mounties' Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, at a news conference Friday. "We are aware that others may have played a role in this homicide, and we remain committed to finding and arresting each of these individuals."

ImageLe RCMP Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, speaking at a news conference Friday, said the investigation was ongoing.Credit... Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press

Several other investigations are underway, including possible involvement of the Indian government in the murder of Mr. Nijjar, Deputy Commissioner David Teboul said at the press conference. He also said, without providing further details, that relations with India in the murder investigation had been difficult.

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