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 鈥� a vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement that advocates for a separate Sikh homeland in the Punjab 鈥� was gunned down on June 18, 2023 by two masked men in the parking lot of Newton鈥檚 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 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鈥檚 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." Pannun is a lawyer based in New York who is the spokesperson and general counsel to Sikhs for Justice.
Pannun and Nijjar are prominent figures in the overseas Sikh independence Khalistan movement seeking a separate state within India.
In 2023, Pannun, was at the heart of an alleged international plot that U.S. prosecutors say targeted him for assassination and was orchestrated by an Indian government employee. An indictment unsealed in New York in late 2023 said Indian national Nikhil Gupta, 52, was recruited by an Indian official to arrange the killing. The alleged target isn鈥檛 named in the document, but has previously been identified by U.S. officials as Pannun.
In Wednesday's letter, Pannun 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 鈥渃ompletely false.鈥�
鈥淲e will raise the issue of this group鈥檚 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,鈥� the spokesperson added.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) said, 鈥淭here are important limits to what we can publicly discuss given the need to protect sensitive activities, techniques, methods, and sources of intelligence. These limitations are essential to ensure the safety, security, and prosperity of Canada.鈥�
The Surrey Now-Leader also reached out to the federal RCMP for comment on the allegation and on the Russian Embassy's request for increased security protection.
An emailed statement in reply said the RCMP is aware of the Sikhs for Justice release but cannot comment or provide additional details "due to the ongoing RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigative Team (IHIT) investigation and court proceedings."
Regarding embassy protection, the statement said: "The RCMP routinely works in close collaboration with police services of jurisdiction across the country, as well as our partners with Global Affairs Canada, in the fulfillment of our protective mandate. To ensure the safety of our members and those we protect, as well as the integrity of our operations, the RCMP does not disclose information related to its protective measures. Any incident or offence that results in a criminal investigation would fall under the purview of the police service of jurisdiction."
Hardeep's son, Balraj Nijjar, said in a September 2023 interview that his father was meeting Canadian Security Intelligence Service officers 鈥渙nce or twice a week,鈥� 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鈥檚 life, and he was advised to 鈥渟tay at home.鈥�
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 鈥渆xtraordinary鈥� step of warning the public about safety threats to Canadians linked to Indian government officials.
Trudeau said India had fundamentally violated Canada鈥檚 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).
-With files from Anna Burns, Tom Zytaruk, The Canadian Press & Sobia Moman
