Canadian police say they have arrested three Indian nationals on charges of the murder of the Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijar, which took place in June last year, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Forty-five-year-old Nijar was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in the western Canadian city of Surrey, home to a large Sikh diaspora. Shortly after, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had credible information about the Indian government's involvement in the murder, which sparked a diplomatic crisis between Ottawa and Delhi, Reuters recalls.
Assistant Commissioner David Teboul told reporters today that the case is still under investigation and that a number of further checks are being carried out. In his words, this also includes "exploring ties with the Government of India".
Nijjar had Canadian citizenship and fought for the creation of an independent state called Khalistan. Indian authorities have long expressed displeasure with the presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada and have designated Nijar as a "terrorist".