Sikh advocacy group accuses Russia in B.C. activist's killing

The separatist group Sikhs for Justice is accusing the Russian Embassy in Canada of involvement in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey.

Nijjar — a vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement that advocates for a separate Sikh homeland in the Punjab — was gunned down on June 18, 2023 by two masked men in the parking lot of Newton’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the 7000-block of Scott Road, where he was president.

Amandeep Singh, 22, Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28, are charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

In a statement posted to X Wednesday (Dec. 18), the group claims the embassy hacked Nijjar's Telegram account in May 2023. They allege the information that was gathered was shared with India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), which ultimately led to Nijjar's death. 

They also claim that Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's Telegram account was also hacked and gave his location to "RAW operatives in a foiled murder-for-hire plot." 

The letter claims that high-level Indian diplomats in Canada and the United States "are jointly operating surveillance and spy networks to monitor and suppress pro-Khalistan campaigns in North America." 

A spokesperson for the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Canada said in an email to Surrey Now-Leader that the allegations are “completely false.” 

“We will raise the issue of this group’s dangerous activities with Global Affairs Canada and the RCMP. Tracking chiefs of foreign missions and offering a reward for such actions is absolutely unacceptable and could be seen as a step toward planning a terrorist attack. We will request law enforcement action against this group and also seek enhanced protection for the Embassy, as required by the Government of Canada under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the spokesperson added. 

Hardeep's son, Balraj Nijjar, said in a September 2023 interview that his father was meeting Canadian Security Intelligence Service officers “once or twice a week,” including one or two days before the June 18 killing, with another meeting scheduled for two days after his death.

Balraj Nijjar says he also attended a meeting between his father and the RCMP last year in which they were told about threats to his father’s life, and he was advised to “stay at home.”

In mid-October the group asked the federal government to shut down the Indian consulates in Vancouver and Toronto.

A day earlier, on Thanksgiving Monday (Oct. 14), Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a news conference after the RCMP announced the “extraordinary” step of warning the public about safety threats to Canadians linked to Indian government officials.

Trudeau said India had fundamentally violated Canada’s sovereignty and international law by targeting Canadians with murder, extortion and coercion.

Canada expelled six Indian diplomats whom the RCMP say refused to comply with investigations, prompting India to retaliate by ordering six Canadian envoys out of the country by the following Saturday (Oct. 19).

Source: https://www.wltribune.com/news/sikh-advocacy-group-accuses-russia-in-bc-activists-killing-7718164