Amid the collapsed diplomatic ties between India and Canada after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged that the Indian govt was behind the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, it has been revealed that Nijjar was in regular touch with Canadian intelligence agencies before his death.
Balraj Singh Nijjar, the son of slain Hardeep Singh Nijjar, has told the Canadian media that his father had weekly meetings with Canadian intelligence officials before his murder. As per a report by Canadian news website National Observer, Balraj Singh Nijjar said his father had been meeting with Canadian Security Intelligence Service officers “once or twice a week.”
Balraj also said that his father had such a meeting just 1 or 2 days before his death on 18th June, and another meeting was scheduled for two days after the murder. The meetings started in February this year, and their frequency increased gradually. Balaraj said that the meetings were regarding threats his father was facing.
The son said that he also attended such a meeting between Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) last year, where they were told about the alleged threats to Nijjar’s life. Balraj Nijjar added that the authorities had advised his father to stay at home due to the threats.
Balraj Singh Nijjar added that the threats were due to his father’s active support to the Khalistan movement. He said that his father had received hundreds of threatening messages telling him to stop his advocacy for Sikh independence. “If you don’t stop talking about Khalistan, we’ll kill you. We know where you live. We know you go to this gurdwara,” said one such messages, as per Balraj.
He said that they always informed the police about the police, felt protected in Canada, and didn’t want to hide due to the threats. “We weren’t worried about safety because we weren’t doing anything wrong. We were just using freedom of speech,” he said.
In the memorial service of his father at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, Balraj said that he feels a sense of relief after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government Monday of being involved in the fatal shooting. He said that his family and close friends always suspected the Indian government was behind his father’s killing.
He also informed that after his father’s death, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) have been in regular contact with him regarding the investigation into the case.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of the banned group Sikhs for Justice confirmed the same, adding that Nijjar had asked Canadian authorities whether he should wear a bulletproof vest in the weeks before he was killed. Nijjar’s lawyer had asked about the vest in April or May, but the agencies had said that they could not provide him a bulletproof vest.
Pannun also informed that Canadian authorities had advised Nijjar to not go to the Gurudwara at his usual time, and should avoid public places. He added that Nijjar chose to continue with his usual routine, because the ‘Khalistan movement in Canada is peaceful’.
The media officer for the RCMP in British Columbia said that a request to confirm the warnings and advice given to Nijjar had been forwarded to its national headquarters.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in his truck in the parking lot Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey on June 18 evening by unidentified gunmen.
NIA starts attaching properties of Khalistani terrorists
In the meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has begun attaching the properties of fugitive Khalistani terrorists. A list has been redrawn to complete the attachment process under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The agency has prepared a list of terrorists and their properties to be attached under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The agency may also send a team to Canada to complete a probe against Khalistani elements.
