Khalistan Tiger Force Chief shot dead in Canada

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Khalistan Tiger Force chief, was shot dead by two youths in the parking lot of a Gurudwara in Surrey, Canada on June 19.

The unidentified youths shot Nijjar, a designated terrorist, inside the premises of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara Sahib, of which he was the head, officials said.

Former Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, had submitted Nijjar’s name on the wanted list to Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, during the latter’s visit to India in 2018. The 46-year-old KTF Chief had been known to actively involved in operationalising, networking, training, and financing members of the militant group, according to the Union government.

He had also been accused in a case registered by the National Investigation Agency.

During the NIA investigation, it was found that Nijjar had made incriminating statements, posted objectionable content, and shared incriminating media on social media platforms to “spread insurrectionary imputations” through hateful speeches.

An NIA document says, “The incriminating evidence thus gathered substantiates that he is involved in exhorting seditionary and insurrectionary imputations and also attempting to create disharmony among different communities in India.”

Nijjar also had been facing numerous charges registered and investigated upon by Punjab Police, leading to a red corner notice issued against him.

A 2020 Punjab government order directed the detention of a total of 11 kanal and 13.5 marlas of land belonging to Nijjar was seized in his native village, Bhar Singapura, in Phillaur subdivision of Jalandhar district.

In a report of The Indian Express, the villagers mentioned that they had not seen Nijjar for years.