Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the leader of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib and chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force, was shot dead by two unidentified youngsters on Sunday evening within the Gurdwara Sahib grounds in Surrey, Canada.
As per reports, Nijjar's lifeless body was discovered inside a vehicle, bearing gunshot injuries, within the parking area of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey.
Now, Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar shot dead by unidentified men in Canada.
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) June 19, 2023
He was in India's most wanted 40 designated terrorists list.
In 2022, NIA also declared Rs 10 lakh reward on Nijjar. He was involved in planning targeted killings in India. pic.twitter.com/3LIUKdVu8Z
Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar?
Nijjar, who was wanted for his alleged participation in acts of terrorism, held a significant position among India's most sought-after terrorists. According to the Union government, Nijjar, a resident of Bhar Singh Pura village in Jalandhar, was actively involved in operationalising, networking, training, and supporting members of the Khalistan Tiger Force.
Nijjar was also accused in a National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation in connection with an alleged conspiracy to kill Hindu priest Kamaldeep Sharma in early 2021. The NIA named Nijjar and three others in a chargesheet. The others accused in the attack, which was allegedly planned by Nijjar, are Kamaljeet Sharma, Ram Singh (who attacked the priest), and his accomplice Arshdeep Singh alias Prabh. During the investigation, it was determined that Nijjar had made incriminating comments, published objectionable information, and shared pictures and videos on social media platforms to “spread insurrectionary imputations” through hateful speeches.
Nijjar supported the separatist and violent objective of the pro-Khalistan organisation ‘Sikhs for Justice’ in India and recently travelled to Australia to cast his vote in the referendum.
According to a separate document released by the NIA, “the incriminating evidence thus gathered substantiates that he is involved in exhorting seditionary and insurrectionary imputations and also attempting to create disharmony among different communities in India.”
Nijjar also led a propaganda campaign against India, including arranging protests outside Indian missions in the US, the UK, Germany, and Canada and ordering targeted assassinations in Punjab. He also forcefully occupied Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh temple to become its president.
In recent years, Nijjar was frequently seen as part of rallies in front of the Consulate General of India in Vancouver.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, one of the founders of the group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), designated Nijjar as the group’s representative in Canada in 2020, where he was tasked with promoting the “Referendum-2020 campaign.” The unofficial “referendum” is a voting exercise organised across many nations by the US-based SFJ movement, which was banned in India in 2019 for “espousing secessionism and militant [activities].” The referendum seeks to establish an agreement among Sikh communities to establish Khalistan, a separate nation inside India. The deceased Khalistani terrorist was also instrumental in organising the Khalistani referendum in Canada’s Brampton.
Khalistani designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was in a tug of war with other Khalistani radicals. This killing is as a result of internal gang war between two Khalistani groups. Nijjar was embroiled in the killing of a Hindu priest in Punjab apart from other cases of… pic.twitter.com/tJ1YGCeUH1
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) June 19, 2023
India’s Most Wanted Criminal
During Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to India 2018, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh submitted Nijjar’s name to the wanted list.
Last year, the Punjab Police requested Nijjar’s extradition from Canada because he was wanted in connection with acts of reviving terrorism in the state. In response to a lookout circular (LOC) issued on January 23, 2015, and a red corner notice issued on March 14, 2016, the police demanded his extradition. Red Corner Notices are issued to fugitives who are wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence. A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement authorities worldwide to identify and arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or other legal action.
Moreover, a Punjab government order issued in 2020 directed the seizure of 11 kanal and 13.5 marlas of land belonging to Nijjar in his native village.
The NIA declared a monetary reward of Rs 10 lakh in July last year for information leading to Nijjar’s arrest in connection with a 2021 attack on a Hindu priest in Jalandhar. The reward announcement came nearly three weeks after the NIA filed a charge sheet against him and three others concerning the attack.
The Indian government has requested Canadian authorities to investigate Nijjar’s suspected involvement in the terrorist attacks in Punjab.
NIA's Ongoing Investigation Against Khalistan Supporters’ Attacks on India
The NIA has investigated the March assaults on Indian Missions in the US and Canada, which Khalistan supporters carried out. In addition, the agency was tasked with examining the violent protests and attempted vandalism at the Indian High Commission in London earlier this year.
According to news sources, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell filed FIRs under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) concerning the March attacks.
The NIA released a CCTV video of the attack on the Indian Mission in London on 12 June and asked the public for assistance in identifying the culprits.
According to the Metropolitan Police, two security personnel sustained minor injuries during the event. India summoned Britain’s deputy high commissioner in New Delhi and demanded an explanation for the “absence of security.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) released a strongly worded statement condemning the UK government’s disregard for the safety of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel as “unacceptable.”