Nijjar case trial unlikely to start till Aug: Canadian prosecutors

The British Columbia Prosecution Service on Saturday said that hearings involving the four Indian nationals remain in the pre-trial phase

The trial in Canada linked to the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar remains in the pre-trial stage, with proceedings involving four Indian nationals not expected to move to the trial phase or have dates set before August this year, people aware of the details said.

Designated a terrorist by India, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead by gunmen outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada in June 2023

The development comes a day after Indian national Nikhil Gupta pled guilty in the United States to plotting the assassination of pro-Khalistan activist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. US authorities have linked the conspiracy to kill the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) general counsel to the murder of Nijjar.

Designated a terrorist by India, Nijjar was shot dead by gunmen outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada in June 2023. Just hours after the killing, Yadav purportedly sent Gupta a video of Nijjar’s body, according to the indictment.

“On or about June 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, Gupta told the UC [undercover law enforcement officer posing as a contract killer] that Nijjar ‘was also the target’ and ‘we have so many targets.’ Gupta added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was ‘now no need to wait’ on killing the Victim. On or about June 20, 2023, Yadav sent Gupta a news article about the victim and messaged Gupta, ‘[i]t’s [a] priority now’,” the US Justice Department said.

A spokesperson for the British Columbia Prosecution Service on Friday confirmed that the hearings involving the four Indian nationals linked to Nijjar’s killing –– Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh and Amandeep Singh –– remains in the pre-trial phase and “will be for some time”. “Trial dates have not yet been set. All four accused remain in custody under detention orders,” Damienne Darby, communications counsel for the BC Prosecution Service, said on Friday in response to queries from HT.

That trial is not expected to commence before August due to the complex pre-trial situation. Pre-trial applications are expected to continue till around that time, before dates for the actual trial are set, a prosecution spokesperson had said last year.

A publication ban on the proceedings, imposed by the court on an application of the Crown (prosecution), also remains in place.

Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh were arrested from in and around Edmonton, Alberta, in May 2024. Amandeep Singh was charged days later while he was in custody of the Peel Regional Police (PRP). He was arrested in November 2023 on nine charges, including those related to unauthorised possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance.

Amandeep Singh made his first court appearance on May 15, while the others appeared before a judge on May 7. May 21 was the first time all four appeared together in court. All four are facing charges related to first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Relations between India and Canada cratered when the then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in the House of Commons on September 18, 2023, that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and Nijjar’s killing. India had described those accusations as “absurd” and “motivated”. Following the row over the killing, both sides paused talks on a trade deal, downgraded diplomatic relations and expelled dozens of each other’s diplomats.

Ties have since improved since Mark Carney succeeded Trudeau as PM in March 2025, and he is expected to visit India next month to further enhance them.

In multiple interviews to Canadian media, India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa Dinesh Patnaik has dismissed the allegations about involvement of Indian agents as “preposterous”. “Where is the evidence?” he asked when questioned on the matter by the outlet CBC News last month. “These are allegations that have not been backed by evidence. It’s always easy to make accusations.”

However, he had also said that India will take action against any official on the basis of evidence.