Hardeep Nijjar Murder Suspect Arrived in Canada on Student Visa: Report

New Delhi: As the investigation into the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar continues, media reports have claimed that Karan Brar, one of the arrested accused, had entered Canada on student visa. 

As per a Canada-based news outlet, Brar, who was arrested with two others in the murder case, had applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Punjab's Bathinda. He received the visa within a few days whereas it normally takes about seven-nine weeks to complete the process. 

Citing details on a Facebook page that appeared to belong to Brar, the news outlet reported that the Indian national enrolled in a program at Bow Valley College in Calgary on April 30, 2020, and moved to Edmonton on May 4, 2020. 

EthicWorks Immigration Services had posted the promotional video on its Facebook page carrying a photo of Brar in which he was seen holding a passport with a Canadian study permit inside, it reported. However, the video has now been deleted.

Nijjar Killing Case: Trio Charged with First-Degree Murder

The three Indian nationals, allegedly members of 'hit squad’, were arrested by the Canadian police on May 4. The arrests came months after a diplomatic wildfire ignited following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging India’s link in the case.

The trio have been charged with first-degree murder. Apart from Brar, the other two have been identified as Karanpreet Singh, 28, and Kamalpreet Singh, 22.

The Canadian police had also released the pictures of arrested accused. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief, was gunned down by unknown assailants outside a shrine in Canada's Surrey last year. 

In 2020, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist. Following Trudeau’s allegation, the Indian government had refuted the claims and called it baseless. This debate triggered a diplomatic row between the two countries. Tensions continue to prevail between the two nations but have somewhat eased since. Meanwhile, India has maintained that Canada never provided any concrete evidence on Nijjar's killing.