Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was put on USA No Fly List in 2019: Sources

Amid the ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and Canada over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, sources have revealed that the Khalistani leader was found to be at flight risk in the United States and was on USA’s no-fly list in 2019. Meanwhile, in contradiction to Trudeau’s recent support to the Khalistani activist, it has been learnt that Nijjar was also included in Canada's no-fly list in 2017–18. 

The reports of Nijjar being placed on the no-fly list of US as well as Canada is raising speculations over Trudeau's support for him at the stakes of Canada's diplomatic relations with India. Meanwhile in his latest statement, the Canadian Prime Minister claimed that Ottawa had shared allegations regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar with India weeks ago he was killed. 

US no-fly list

According to the US Transportantion Security Administration (TSA), the no-fly list is a small subset of the US government Terrorist Screening Database (also known as the terrorist watchlist) that contains the identity information of known or suspected terrorists. The database is maintained by the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center. 

TSA implements the No Fly List through its Secure Flight program. Notably, the individuals on the no-fly list are prevented from boarding an aircraft when flying within, to, from and over the United States.

Nijjar in touch with Canadian intelligence officers

In a big revelation, the son of the Khalistani separatist informed that his father used to regularly meet Canadian intelligence officers in the months before he was shot dead in British Columbia last June. The reported disclosure by Nijjar’s son also raised speculations if the Sikh separatist was acting as a Canadian intelligence asset. He also stated that the Canadian intelligence officers had informed Nijjar about the threats to his life and advised him to "stay at home”.

Balraj Singh Nijjar, 21, said his father had been meeting with Canadian Security Intelligence Service officers "once or twice a week," including one or two days before he was murdered on June 18, with another meeting scheduled for two days after his death.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a vocal supporter of the Khalistan movement, was shot dead in June this year by two masked men in the parking lot of Surrey's Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, where he was serving as the president. The tensions between India and Canada hit a new low on Monday after Trudeau in the country’s Parliament alleged the involvement of the Indian government in the killing of the Khalistani leader. However, India rejected the charge as “absurd and motivated”.