Summary
- Three suspects have been arrested and charged in Canada over the killing of a prominent Sikh activist last year, police announce
- Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead on 18 June by masked gunmen outside a temple in a Vancouver suburb
- The killing triggered a diplomatic row between Canada and India, after PM Justin Trudeau alleged the Indian state may have been involved
- India strongly denied any involvement
- In announcing the charges on Friday, police said investigations were continuing, including into “connections to the government of India”
- Nijjar was a vocal advocate for the creation of Khalistan – a separate homeland for Sikhs
- India strongly opposes the Khalistan movement, and labelled Nijjar a terrorist
- The Sikh separatist movement has long been a source of tension between India and Canada, which has a large Sikh population