In its report, the CBC claimed that the “arrested men could be part of an alleged hit squad tasked by the government of India.” However, this charge has been repeatedly denied by the Indian government.

The arrested men – Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh – reportedly arrived in Canada on a temporary visa in 2021. The media report further claimed that the arrested men are said to be alleged associates of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

Notably, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in India previously established links between Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang and pro-Khalistani groups that operate on foreign soil. Bishnoi is also accused of plotting the killing of popular singer Sidhu Moose Wala in May 2022.

This further points to the possibility that the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar can be the result of inter-gang rivalry between Khalistani outfits and the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The three arrested in the case face one count of first degree murder and a count of conspiracy to commit murder. The media report said that Canadian police are investigating the links between the alleged shooters and three additional killings in Canada.

The CBC reported that all three arrested in the case are in their 20s, and are Indian citizens who have been residing in Edmonton. The three were identified by Canadian authorities months ago and were being closely monitored.

Canadian media reports suggest that investigative agencies are exploring the involvement of the Indian government in Nijjar’s killing. In September 2023, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that the Indian government had told Canada that it was not Government of India policy to engage in such acts like the killing of Hardeep Nijjar.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by the NIA in 2020, was shot dead by armed men as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023. The attack was described as ‘highly coordinated’ and involved six men and two vehicles.