Canada will expedite trial of four Indian nationals in Nijjar murder case

The Canadian government invoked a “direct indictment.” four Indian nationals in the murder of Khalistan separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjarreported Indian Express quoting an official from the British Columbia Public Prosecutor’s Office.

A direct indictment will allow the trial of the four Indians to be taken directly to the Supreme Court of Canada, bypassing a preliminary hearing in a lower court, during which defense lawyers typically question prosecution witnesses and gather evidence.

The four Indians are Karan Brar, Amandeep Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh. They were initially scheduled for trial in Surrey Provincial Court on November 21. The appearance has been canceled and the case will be heard in the Supreme Court of Canada on February 11, 2025, Indian Express reported.

A spokesman for the British Columbia Public Prosecution Service explained the rationale for direct indictment to the newspaper, saying: “This special measure, rarely used, ensures that people who should be tried will stand trial, particularly in cases where the safety of witnesses or public safety is at risk.” “

The four men were arrested in May 2024 in connection with Nijjar’s murder on June 18, 2023. They face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Court proceedings since their arrest have been repeatedly delayed and the case has been adjourned several times.

During the Supreme Court’s first appearance on November 18, three of the four Indians participated by video conference and one appeared through his counsel. A temporary publication ban was imposed on pre-trial and case management conferences.

According to prosecutors, the four men allegedly acted as shooters, drivers and lookouts during Nijjar’s murder. They are being held without bail and no additional charges have been filed in the case.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has repeatedly alleged a link between the Indian government and Nijjar’s murder, which India denies, maintaining that Canada has not provided credible evidence to support the accusations.

Prosecutors explained that the witness list would be submitted closer to the start of the trial. Witnesses residing in Canada can generally be required to testify, but witnesses residing outside the country cannot.

said Ann Seymour, acting communications advisor for the British Columbia Prosecutions Service Indian Express: “The conspiracy to commit murder is alleged to have occurred between May and June 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta and Surrey, British Columbia. The murder is alleged to have occurred on June 18, 2023.”

Additional evidence regarding the conspiracy charges will be presented during the trial.

On Thursday, Ottawa rejected a report in the Canadian press that quoted an unidentified Canadian national security official as saying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the alleged plot to kill Nijjar.

A day earlier, New Delhi rejected the report and said it was part of a “smear campaign”.

On October 16, Trudeau said he had intelligence but no “hard evidentiary proof” when he first went public with allegations that Indian government agents may have been involved in Nijjar’s murder in September 2023. Diplomatic relations between India and Canada have been strained , with diplomatic expulsions from both countries.

In October, Canadian Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison alleged that Indian Home Affairs 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.”

---