Expecting details related to the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar to prove "detrimental to international relations and national security", the government in Canada has sought to block the details as the trial of the murder is expected to begin later this year.
Global News has reported that the Attorney General of Canada has made an application in this regard, with a plea to keep some information confidential, given its “sensitive” nature.
Nijjar was murdered on June 18, 2023, following which four Indian nationals were accused of the crime. The then Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, stated in the House of Commons that there was a link between Indian agents and the murder allegations, which India has vehemently denied, calling them “absurd” and “motivated”.
The hearing, against the four accused Indian nationals, is still in the pre-trial phase, and a trial is not expected to begin before August this year, the British Columbia Prosecution Service spokesperson has said.
The four accused in the murder of Nijjar, Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh, and Amandeep Singh, are under mandatory detention, and will remain there till the trial commences.
The case gets all the more murky with the arrest of Nikhil Gupta in the United States, who has pleaded guilty to three charges linked to the abortive attempt on the life of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) general counsel, Gurpatwant Pannun. Nijjar was the Canadian coordinator of SFJ's “Khalistan Referendum”.
Meanwhile, the Indian High Commissioner to Ottawa, Dinesh Patnaik, has been quoted by Hindustan Times as saying that New Delhi was ready to work with Canada to take action if evidence emerges that elements within the Indian establishment were involved in the murder.
“We have nothing to worry about on this account,” Patnaik said, “We want to work with the Canadians to bring perpetrators to justice. And if we find there are elements within our own establishment who have been involved in the murder, and there is evidence to prove the link, we will take action.”
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