A purported video has surfaced, asserting the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an individual marked as a terrorist by India, Canada-based CBC News reported. As per CBC the footage depicts individuals armed with weapons shooting Nijjar, categorizing the incident as a 'contract killing.' Nijjar had been labeled a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2020 and was reportedly shot outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on the evening of June 18, 2023. The presumed intentional killing of the president of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. led to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging the Indian government's participation. This accusation, denied by India, contributed in worsening of diplomatic ties between India and Canada.
What's In The Video?
The footage captures Nijjar departing Gurdwara's parking lot in his gray Dodge Ram pickup truck. As he nears the exit, a white sedan obstructs his path, and two individuals quickly approach, firing at Nijjar. Subsequently, they fled in a silver Toyota Camry, according to CBC News. Two eyewitnesses, engaged in a soccer game in a nearby field at the time, shared that upon hearing the gunshots, they rushed towards the source and attempted to pursue the attackers.
Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) has released alleged video footage of the killing of India designated khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar by unknown armed men last year.
Report claims a well planned attack/ contract killing involving two vehicles and six persons pic.twitter.com/KDdNscdwcK — Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) March 9, 2024
A witness, Bhupinderjit Singh Sidhu, told The Fifth State that he and his friend saw those two guys running, and then he started running towards the noise. He even told his friend to chase the shooter on foot while he was trying to help Nijjar. Sidhu further explained that he tried to shake him to see if Nijjar was breathing and found that he was unconscious. While Sidhu's friend Malkit Singh said that he chased the two men until they got into the Toyota Camry, he saw three others sitting in that car.
As per CBC News, the video has been verified by more than one source and was first obtained by The Fifth Estate. The attack that involved six men and two vehicles has been described as 'highly coordinated.'
India-Canada Diplomatic Row
The killing of Nijjar also ignited a significant diplomatic dispute between India and Canada. In September of the previous year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of being involved in Nijjar's assassination on Canadian territory. India, however, dismissed these allegations as “absurd and motivated.”
Meanwhile, nearly nine months after the incident, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has not identified suspects or carried out any arrests in connection with Nijjar's death.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Canada has not provided any supporting evidence for its assertions regarding the killing.