Ottawa: The accused of murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar were presented in a Canadian court. However, due to security reasons, his appearance was done through video conference. This massacre has created tension in Canada-India relations. In this case, 22-year-old Karan Brar, 22-year-old Kamalpreet Singh and 28-year-old Karanpreet Singh, all residents of Edmonton, were arrested and on Friday they were charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The ‘Vancouver Sun’ newspaper reported that the three were presented separately via video conference in a packed provincial court in Surrey.
The accused agreed to adjourn the case till May 21 to give them time to consult their lawyers. It is believed that those arrested are members of the alleged group that was assigned the task of killing Nijjar. The report said he appeared in Surrey Provincial Court in British Columbia province. Each accused was presented separately at the North Fraser Pretrial Center wearing a red prison T-shirt and pants. The two accused were produced in the morning while Kamalpreet Singh was produced after lunch to give him time to consult a lawyer. The report said that all three agreed to conduct the trial in English language.
The accused told this before the court in Nijjar’s murder case
All three admitted before the court that they were aware of Nijjar’s charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. The court accepted Crown prosecutors’ request that the accused be barred from contacting the seven people under the Canadian Criminal Code. The seven people named in the order include Nijjar’s son Balraj Nijjar (21) and Harjinder Nijjar, Mehtab Nijjar, Sarandeep Sahaj, Harsimranjeet Singh, Arshdeep Kapoor and Malkit Singh, the report said. Surrey’s criminal and immigration lawyer Afan Bajwa said the next step for the accused would be to apply for bail. However, Bajwa has no connection with this matter.
Bajwa said the possibility of releasing him on bail would depend on whether his lawyers make a strong plea before the judge. He said, “I think it may be difficult to release him on bail because he would be a threat to flee the country and to public safety.
Khalistani flags waved outside the court during the hearing
If the trial goes forward and he is found guilty of first-degree murder, he will not be eligible for parole for at least 25 years. Hundreds of Khalistani supporters were present in the court room during the hearing of the case. The courtroom was so crowded that the courtroom had to be opened for an additional 50 people who wished to watch the hearing. Outside the courtroom, 100 or more people waved flags supporting Sikh separatism and Khalistani flags. Nijjar (45), a Canadian national, was murdered outside a gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023.
Days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made some comments related to Khalistani elements in his country, India on Thursday said the comments once again reflect the political space given to separatism, extremism and violence in Canada. India had rejected Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”. India has long objected to the presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada. He had declared Nijjar a “terrorist”. (Language)
Read also
America’s Boeing plane misses space jump again, mission postponed due to valve failure
After Covishield’s admission of clotting, AstraZeneca recalled the vaccine from all over the world, gave a new reason
Latest World News