5 months ago
46
ARTICLE AD BOX
7,366
viewing this page
Related Video and Audio
Got a TV Licence?
You need one to watch live TV on any channel or device, and BBC programmes on iPlayer. It’s the law.
Live Reporting
Edited by Tiffany Wertheimer
All times stated are UK
Canada names those arrested
Superintendent Mooker has named the three suspects arrested. They are:
- Karanpreet Singh
- Kamalpreet Singh
- Karan Brar.
"We are aware that others may have played a role in this homicide and we are committed to finding and arresting all of these individuals," he says.
Canada investigating connections of those arrested
Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, who is leading the news conference, says ongoing investigations include whether those arrested are linked to the Indian government
He said that police would not discuss the specific evidence of the three suspects.
The details of the probe given out today "are not the complete account of the investigative work currently under way", he says.
"There are separate and distinct investigations ongoing into these matters. Certainly not limited to the involvement of the people arrested today," he said.
"And these efforts include investigating connections to the Government of India."
Canadian officials had previously said there was "credible" evidence "agents of the government of India" carried out the assassination of Nijjar.
BreakingThree arrested over Nijjar's killing
Police have confirmed that three people have been arrested and charged in connection with the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, after an investigation that has lasted many months.
The news conference has begun
Stay with us as we bring you the latest. You can watch live by pressing play at the top of this page.
The roots of the Khalistan movement
Copyright: Getty Images
Nijar was an outspoken advocate for Khalistan, a movement that seeks to create an independent homeland for Sikhs.
Sikhs are a religious minority that make up 2% of India’s population and some 60% of the Indian state of Punjab.
In the 1970s Sikhs launched an insurgency in which thousands of people died. It was quelled the following decade.
Since then, the movement has been mostly limited to countries with large Sikh populations such as Canada and the UK. There are an estimated 1.4 to 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin and the country has the largest population of Sikhs outside of Punjab.
The movement is banned in India but supporters still continue to call for a separate state.
Canada presents its case - and Delhi hits back
Image caption: Justin TrudeauCopyright: Reuters
In September of last year, Trudeau rose in Parliament and said there was “credible” evidence suggesting that “agents of the government of India” had carried out the assassination.
Trudeau did not provide much detail, or explain why he had made the accusation, saying only that it was based on intelligence gathered by the Canadian government.
India’s foreign ministry called the claims “absurd” and politically motivated.
A couple of months later, the US made its own allegations, charging an Indian national with a plot to kill at least four Sikh separatists in North America, a case with links to the murder of Nijjar.
Experts told the BBC at the time that US case had only added weight to Trudeau’s claims.
What happened in June?
Image caption: Activists from the United Hindu Front protest against Justin Trudeau in New Delhi, India last yearCopyright: Getty Images
Nijjar was shot dead by two masked gunman while sitting in his vehicle in the busy car park of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple in Surrey, British Columbia.
Witnesses told the BBC that he was shot through the window as he sat behind the wheel of his vehicle.
Some bystanders gave chase and said they saw the suspects speed off in a waiting car.
Police said that 45-year-old Nijjar died at the scene.
The murder outraged supporters, shocked Canadians and triggered a major diplomatic row after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said there was evidence suggesting India might have been involved, accusations firmly denied by Delhi.
Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar?
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was born in the district of Jalandhar in the north Indian state of Punjab.
In 1997, he moved to Canada where he married, became a citizen, had two sons and worked as a plumber.
Nijjar became a vocal advocate for the creation of Khalistan - a separate homeland for Sikhs, a religious minority in India.
Last June, he was shot and killed by two gunmen outside a Sikh temple in Vancouver’s suburbs.
He had been labelled a terrorist by India, and accused of being the “mastermind” of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), a banned militant group in the country.
Supporters and friends of Nijjar have said these claims are unfounded, and claimed he had received threats in the past because of his activism.
You can read more about him here.
Image caption: The temple in Surrey, British Columbia, displaying Hardeep Singh Nijjar's imageCopyright: Getty Images
Welcome to our live coverage
Canadian authorities are holding a news conference shortly in relation to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver last year.
Nijjar was killed by two masked gunmen outside a Sikh temple.
Canada’s CBC News reports that three suspects have been arrested over his death.
Nijjar’s death shocked Canadians, and damaged relations between Canada and India.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” that India had been involved.
The Indian government vehemently denied playing any role, and called the allegations “absurd”.
Follow our live coverage as we bring you the latest updates from the police conference.
English (US)