B.C. court date set for third suspect in Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing

By The Canadian Press on May 8, 2024.

Kamalpreet Singh is shown in this undated police handout photo. The third man charged in the murder of British Columbia Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar has set his next court appearance to coincide with that of the other two men accused in the case. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, RCMP *MANDATORY CREDIT*

SURREY, B.C. – A court date has been set for the third man charged with the murder of British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, coinciding with that of the other two suspects.

Case listings from Surrey Provincial Court in B.C. show that Kamalpreet Singh will appear next on May 21.

Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh and Karan Brar are Indian nationals who were arrested in Edmonton last week for the June 2023 death of Nijjar, who was shot dead in his truck while leaving the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh temple.

Appearance dates had already been set for Karanpreet Singh and Brar, but fixing a date for Kamalpreet Singh was delayed while he looked for a lawyer.

Nijjar, who was the president of the temple, was also a vocal advocate for an independent Sikh state in India and was regarded by the government there as a terrorist.

Last September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons there was credible intelligence indicating India’s government was involved in the killing, which it denies.

Protesters from Nijjar’s temple rallied outside the Surrey courthouse on Tuesday and filled the courtroom where the three accused appeared via video.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2024.