Former Indian diplomat KP Fabian expressed concern on Thursday regarding the recent development involving the four alleged accused in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, questioning whether the decision made by the Justice Department of British Columbia, Canada, presents a significant setback for the Canadian government.
Documents released by the Justice Department revealed that the four accused men—Karan Brar, Amandeep Singh, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karanpreet Singh—are no longer in custody. The case documents showed “N” under the status of the four men, indicating that they were no longer in detention. The men were previously charged with the murder of Nijjar and conspiracy to murder by Canadian police.
Fabian remarked on the bail decision, questioning whether it signals a setback for Canada’s handling of the case. “The question now is whether the bail given to the four accused is a big setback for the Canadian government. Well, it is difficult to say. It is a victory for the advocates who represented the accused…The case will be tried in the Supreme Court of British Columbia,” Fabian said.
The four accused—Brar (22), Karanpreet Singh (28), Kamalpreet Singh (22), and Amandeep Singh (22)—were arrested in May 2024. Brar, Karanpreet Singh, and Kamalpreet Singh were taken into custody on May 3 in Edmonton, while Amandeep Singh, already in custody for unrelated firearms charges, was arrested on May 11. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) in British Columbia had charged them with murder and conspiracy. However, police did not provide any evidence of a link to India, which had been speculated by the Canadian media.
Fabian also questioned the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)‘s investigation timeline, remarking on the long duration it took to complete the investigation. “These four were accused and taken into custody in May 2024, and it is surprising that the RCMP took so much time to complete the investigation,” Fabian said.
At the time of the arrests, the Ministry of External Affairs in India reiterated that Canada had not provided any “specific” evidence or relevant information regarding the Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing case and had not communicated formally with India about the arrests.
Tensions between India and Canada escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian government agents of being responsible for the killing of Nijjar. India has firmly dismissed these accusations as “absurd” and “motivated.”
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2020, was killed in June 2023 when he was shot outside a Gurdwara in Surrey. A video of his killing, which reportedly surfaced in March 2024, showed Nijjar being shot in what has been described as a “contract killing.”