Another arrest has been made in the murder of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Earlier this month, court documents showed that three men were charged with first-degree murder in connection to Nijjar’s death. Over the weekend, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) confirmed a fourth man “has since been charged for his role in the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.”
The 45-year-old Sikh temple leader was gunned down in a vehicle in the busy parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara nearly a year ago.
@BCSikhs/Twitter | Sukhwant Dhillon/AM 600 Sher-E-Punjab Radio
IHIT Saturday said it arrested 22-year-old Amandeep Singh for his role in the shooting death of Nijjar. IHIT said he is an Indian national who lived in Brampton, Ontario, Surrey, and Abbotsford, BC.
IHIT has released a photo of Amandeep Singh “in effort to further advance the investigation.” (Submitted)
This fourth individual was already in custody for unrelated firearms charges out of Peel Regional Police, which is based in Ontario.
“IHIT pursued the evidence and gained sufficient information for the BC Prosecution Service to charge Amandeep Singh with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder,” IHIT said.
“This arrest shows the nature of our ongoing investigation to hold responsible those that played a role in the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, the Officer in Charge of IHIT, added.
Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karan Brar are also facing one count each of conspiracy to commit murder in connection to a May 1 offence in Edmonton and Surrey.
Nijjar was publicly connected to the campaign for Khalistan, an independence movement seeking a separatist Sikh nation in Punjab, India.
The movement has been condemned by the Government of India over its extremist ties. According to reports from India, Nijjar was wanted in the country and declared a terrorist.
Anyone who may have information on the four men who were arrested in this case is asked to contact IHIT at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or by email at [email protected].
With files from Simran Singh and Claire Fenton