Buzz: All 4 Indians accused of killing Khalistani terrorist Nijjar get relief from Canada’s top court

There is a huge buzz on the internet, particularly, social media about the four Indian nationals accused of their involvement in Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing having been granted bail by Canada’s Supreme Court. There has been no official word on the development.

Karan Brar, Amandeep Singh, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karanpreet Singh were charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to kill Nijjar. The case is scheduled for next hearing in February in the British Columbia Supreme Court. Several news outlets cited court documents on Thursday to say the four were granted bail due to lack of evidence.

However, Canadian news outlet CBC quoted Ann Seymour of the BC Prosecution Service as saying, “It is not true that the four accused have been released on bail…All four accused were detained, and they continue to remain in custody.”

Nijjar, the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was shot outside British Columbia’s Gurudwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023, by unknown assailants. Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, facing a political crisis back then and now having announced his resignation, alleged that Indian agencies were behind the shooting.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested Karanpreet, Kamalpreet and Karan Brar in May 2024.

According to a report by India Today, the court records show that all four defendants have a status marked as ‘N,’ signifying that they are “not” in custody — indicating that the individuals are not currently detained and may be out on bail or released under certain conditions while awaiting further court proceedings.

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However, there was no official word from any Canadian agency on the status of the case in its top court.

The Canadian government issued a “direct indictment,” moving the case from the Surrey Provincial Court to the British Columbia Supreme Court. This legal action skipped the preliminary inquiry, fast-tracking the case to trial.

The murder of the Khalistani terrorist became a key bone of contention between India and Canada as the latter blamed “Indian agents” for having a role in his death. On the other hand, New Delhi blamed Ottawa for harbouring Khalistani terrorists.

India maintains that Canada has not provided concrete evidence linking Indian individuals or government agents to the death of Nijjar. In September 2023, Trudeau claimed there were “credible allegations” of Indian government involvement in Nijjar’s killing. But no evidence was put out in public domain.

(The story has been updated for improved accuracy.)