Canada-based pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar–declared a ‘wanted terrorist’ by the Indian government– was shot dead in Surrey, Canada, on Monday.Nijjar, a resident of a village in Jalandhar, was director of SFJ, which is banned in India. He was the president of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. He was shot in the parking lot of the gurdwara at 8.27 pm.
Witnesses reported that two gunmen fled after shooting. IHIT is currently investigating the matter.He had played a key role in organising the Khalistan referendum in Brampton city. It was claimed that over one lakh people took part in this separatist activity. India had lodged a protest with the Canadian government for allowing this anti-India activity on its land.Nijjar’s name was also among the four persons against who a charge sheet was filed by the NIA in connection with a conspiracy to kill Hindu priest Kamaldeep Sharma in Jalandhar on January 31, 2021. The three others are Kamaljeet Sharma, Ram Singh and Arshdeep Singh alias Prabh.According to the NIA, the conspiracy was hatched by accused Arshdeep and Nijjar, both based in Canada, to disturb peace and disrupt the communal harmony in Punjab by killing a Hindu priest.India had asked the Canadian authorities to take action against Nijjar for his alleged involvement in terrorist acts in Punjab.Last year, the Punjab Police had sought the extradition of Nijjar as he was wanted in cases related to acts of reviving terrorism in the state.
The NIA said Nijjar had been proactively involved in recruiting, training, financing and operationalising pro-Khalistan terrorist modules for spreading terror in India. He was involved in giving inflammatory and hateful speeches through social media platforms.The NIA had attached Nijjar’s property at his village in Punjab in another case.A cash reward of Rs 10 lakh was declared against the Canada-based chief of pro-Khalistani outfit Khalistan Tiger Force. Nijjar had been accused of killing Ripudaman Singh Malik, the man who was acquitted in the 1985 Air India terrorist bombing case, in Surrey last year.
