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Vehicle parked on pro-Khalistan separatist's house set ablaze in Canada's Surrey
Surrey Police Service Major Crime detectives appealed for witnesses to come forward and for CCTV and dashcam footage from anyone in the area at the time.
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A vehicle parked at the property of a pro-Khalistan separatist was set ablaze late on Wednesday night in Canada's British Columbia province, in an incident local police believe may have been “targeted.”
The arson occurred at the residence of a man identified as Narinder Singh Randhawa in the town of Surrey. Randhawa is said to be associated with the so-called Khalistan Referendum being organised by the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
A bus parked on the premises was vandalised with graffiti.
“It looks like it was a targeted event, and we just continue to ask the public to be vigilant,” a spokesperson for the Surrey Police Service (SPS) told local media at the scene.
SFJ's claims
SFJ claimed a Molotov cocktail had been thrown at the vehicle. CCTV video of the incident, which occurred just before midnight, shows an unidentified individual first vandalising the bus before throwing the incendiary object, which set the car on fire.
SFJ called for an investigation into the incident by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), adding that Randhawa had earlier received a ‘duty to warn’ letter from law enforcement due to a credible threat to his life.
What the police said
In a statement, SPS said its officers, upon responding to a call and arriving at the residence, observed a fully engulfed passenger vehicle being extinguished by Surrey Fire Service firefighters. A bus associated with the property had also been spray-painted.
“It is believed that a suspect fled the area on foot after damaging the bus and setting fire to the vehicle,” the statement added.
SPS Major Crime detectives appealed for witnesses to come forward and for CCTV and dashcam footage from anyone in the area at the time.
Surrey is where pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed on June 18, 2023. Three months later, that murder ruptured ties between India and Canada when then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in the House of Commons that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing. India described those accusations as “absurd” and “motivated.”
Relations have renewed since Mark Carney replaced Trudeau as Canada’s PM in March 2025. He undertook a bilateral visit to India in February-March this year, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to come to Canada in December.
