Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar

Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.

Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.

Court documents show 28-year-old Karanpreet Singh, 22-year-old Kamalpreet Singh and 22-year-old Karan Brar are each facing one count first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder in Nijjar's death. 

All three are Indian nationals who were living in Edmonton when they were taken into custody Friday morning, authorities said.

Investigators believe the men were in Surrey, B.C., on June 18, 2023, the day 45-year-old Nijjar was gunned down outside his gurdwara in the city. 

Speaking at a news conference Friday, RCMP Asst. Commissioner David Teboul, commander of the Federal Policing Program in the Pacific Region, stressed that the murder remains "very much under active investigation."

"There are separate and distinct investigations ongoing into these matters, certainly not limited to the involvement of the people arrested today, and these efforts include investigating connections to the government of India," Teboul said.

With charges now laid, authorities were tight-lipped about how their months-long investigation led them to the three suspects.