B.C. court date set for third suspect in Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing

A court date has been set for the third man charged with the murder of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, coinciding with that of the other two suspects.

Case listings from Surrey Provincial Court show that Kamalpreet Singh will appear next on May 21.

Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh, and Karan Brar are Indian nationals who were arrested in Edmonton last week in connection with Nijjar’s killing.

Nijjar was shot dead in his truck while leaving the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh temple in June 2023.

Appearance dates had already been set for Karanpreet Singh and Brar, but fixing a date for Kamalpreet Singh was delayed while he looked for a lawyer.

Nijjar, who was the president of the temple he was shot outside, was also a vocal advocate for an independent Sikh state in India and was regarded by the government there as a terrorist.

Nijjar’s killing prompted protests outside Indian consulates and accusations of foreign involvement in the murder.

Last September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons there was credible intelligence indicating India’s government was involved in the killing, which it denies.

“Canada is a rule of law country. The protection of our citizens and defence of our sovereignty are fundamental,” Trudeau said at the time.

“Our top priorities have therefore been, one, that our law enforcement and security agencies ensure the continued safety of all Canadians, and two, that all steps be taken to hold perpetrators of this murder to account.”

Police who announced the arrests last week said investigations about a possible connection to India’s government continue.