MEA: No Consular Access Request Yet For Fourth Indian Arrested In Nijjar Murder Case

Reports regarding the fourth Indian arrested by Canada for involvement in the killing of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar have been seen by India, as stated by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday.

During a press briefing, it was noted by Jaiswal that Canada has not formally conveyed information about the arrest, nor has any consular access request been received by India, as per ANI report.

Photo Credit: X/ANI

MEA On Nijjar Murder Case

When questioned about the fourth Indian arrested by Canada in the Nijjar killing, Jaiswal stated, "Reports of the fourth person being arrested have been seen by us. We have not been formally informed of it. So far, no consular access request has been received."

Last week, it was reported by Canada-based CBC News that a fourth suspect had been arrested by the Canadian police over alleged involvement in the killing of designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, designated a terrorist by India's National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in June last year. The attack was described as 'highly coordinated' and involved six men and two vehicles.

The accused has been identified as Amandeep Singh (22). According to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) in British Columbia, Singh was already in custody of Peel Regional Police in Ontario on unrelated firearms charges. A police statement indicated that IHIT pursued the evidence and gained sufficient information for the BC Prosecution Service to charge Amandeep Singh with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

It was stated by the police that Singh is an Indian national who split his time in Canada between Brampton, Ontario; Surrey, British Columbia; and Abbotsford, British Columbia, as reported by CBC News. Further details of the arrest have not been released by investigators due to ongoing investigations and court processes.

This development followed the recent arrest of three Indian nationals - Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karanpreet Singh in Edmonton - by the Canadian police. The trio was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the homicide.

Notably, no evidence linking India to the case has been provided by the Canadian police, despite speculations in Canadian media. Diplomatic tensions between Canada and India were triggered by Nijjar's killing after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India's involvement - a claim that has been rejected by New Delhi as "absurd" and "motivated."

Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated that no "specific" evidence or relevant information in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing case has been provided by Canada, and no "formal communication" about the arrests of three Indians allegedly involved in the matter has been received by India, as per media reports.

"No specific or relevant evidence or information has been given to us in this matter. Canada has informed us about the arrest. But we have not received any formal communication," stated MEA Spokesperson Jaiswal regarding the three Indians arrested in Canada in connection with Nijjar's killing.

When asked if consular access had been granted to the three Indians arrested in the Nijjar killing case, it was clarified by the MEA that no request from the Canadian side had been received for consular access, as the accused had not asked for it.