The Canadian government has invoked a “direct indictment” against four Indian citizens in the murder case of Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, reported The Indian Express quoting an official with the British Columbia Prosecution Service.
The direct indictment will allow for the four Indians’ trial to proceed directly to the Supreme Court of Canada, bypassing a preliminary hearing in a lower court where defence lawyers typically cross-examine prosecution witnesses and gather evidence.
The four Indians are Karan Brar, Amandeep Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh. They were initially scheduled for a Surrey Provincial Court hearing on November 21. That appearance has been cancelled and the case will proceed in the Canadian Supreme Court on February 11, 2025, The Indian Express reported.
A spokesperson for the British Columbia Prosecution Service explained to the newspaper the reasoning behind the direct indictment, saying: “This special measure, rarely used, ensures that individuals who ought to be tried are brought to court, particularly in cases where witness safety or public interest are at stake.”
The four men were arrested in May 2024 for the killing of Nijjar on June 18, 2023. They face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Judicial proceedings since their arrest have been repeatedly delayed and the case has been adjourned several times.
At the first Supreme Court appearance on November 18, three of the four Indians participated via video conferencing while one appeared through his counsel. An interim publication ban was imposed on pre-trial and case management conferences.
According to prosecutors, the four men are alleged to have acted as shooters, drivers and spotters during Nijjar’s assassination. They are being held in custody without bail and no additional suspects have been charged in the case.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly alleged a link between the Indian government and Nijjar’s killing, a claim that India has denied, maintaining that Canada has not provided credible evidence to support these accusations.
Prosecutors clarified that a witness list would be filed closer to the trial’s commencement. Witnesses located in Canada can generally be compelled to testify but those outside the country cannot.
British Columbia Prosecution Service Acting Communication Counsel Ann Seymour told The Indian Express: “The conspiracy to commit murder is alleged to have occurred between May and June 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta, and Surrey, BC. The murder is alleged to have taken place on June 18, 2023.”
Additional evidence regarding the conspiracy charges will be presented during the trial.
On Thursday, Ottawa dismissed a Canadian news report that quoted an unidentified Canadian national security official as saying that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the alleged plot to kill Nijjar.
A day earlier, New Delhi dismissed the report and said that it was part of a “smear campaign”.
On October 16, Trudeau said that he had intelligence but no “hard evidentiary proof” when he first went public with allegations that Indian government agents may have been involved in the killing of Nijjar, in September 2023. Diplomatic ties between India and Canada have been strained, with diplomatic expulsions from both countries.
In October, Canadian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison alleged that India’s Home Minister Amit Shah was behind a series of plots to kill or intimidate Khalistan separatists in Canada.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs described Morrison’s allegations as “absurd and baseless”.