In a twist of fate, one of the individuals implicated in the tragic demise of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar has revealed in a video on social media that he entered Canada under the guise of a ‘study permit,’ a process he claims took only a matter of days, as reported by Canada-based global news outlets.
The individual in question, identified as Karan Brar, disclosed in a video shared online in 2019 that he sought a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services located in Bathinda, Punjab, India. Brar asserted that he swiftly received approval for his study visa, a revelation gleaned from a translation of his statement in Punjabi, as per Global News sources.
The promotional video, featuring Brar and purportedly hailing from Kotkapura, a city north of Bathinda, was showcased on EthicWorks’ Facebook page along with a congratulatory message celebrating Brar’s Canadian study visa acquisition.
Global News further reported on Brar’s relocation to Edmonton on May 4, 2020, subsequent to commencing studies at Bow Valley College in Calgary on April 30, 2020, according to another Facebook page ostensibly belonging to Brar. However, inquiries regarding these circumstances directed at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada remain unanswered.
Brar, along with his cohorts Karanpreet Singh, 28, and Kamalpreet Singh, 22, found themselves apprehended in Edmonton last Friday. They face charges of murder and conspiracy and made their initial court appearance in Surrey, British Columbia on Tuesday.
Amidst a packed Surrey courtroom, members of the Sikh community from British Columbia observed as the trio, clad in orange jumpsuits, appeared via video link for their court proceedings, as reported by Globe and Mail, a Canadian news outlet.
Outside the provincial court, amidst a backdrop of pro-Khalistani demonstrators chanting slogans and brandishing placards, the accused’s first court appearance unfolded. These events transpired against the backdrop of strained diplomatic relations between Canada and India following allegations by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau implicating Indian government agents in Nijjar’s assassination, a claim vehemently rebuffed by India.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency in 2020, met his tragic end in June of the previous year, succumbing to gunfire outside a Gurdwara in Surrey. A video purportedly depicting his assassination surfaced in March, portraying Nijjar as the victim of a targeted attack.
Canadian authorities, amidst ongoing investigations into alleged ties to the Indian government, released photographs of the trio arrested in connection with Nijjar’s killing last year. Alongside images of the accused, the police also circulated photographs of the vehicle believed to have been utilized by the suspects in the lead-up to the homicide within the Surrey vicinity.
On the morning of May 3, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of Surrey, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies from British Columbia, Alberta RCMP, and the Edmonton Police Service, executed the arrest of the three individuals in connection with Nijjar’s June 2023 slaying.