Four Indian nationals linked to the murder of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar made a brief court appearance in Surrey, British Columbia on Wednesday.
The court session saw no significant developments as the Crown, represented by prosecutor Louise Kenworthy, continues to address procedural issues related to the disclosure of case materials to the defendants’ lawyers. The trial has been adjourned until October 1.
The accused appeared virtually from their respective holding facilities: Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28, from British Columbia, and Amandeep Singh, 22, from Ontario.
According to Surrey Now Leader, Kenworthy informed Judge Mark Jetté that the defence has already received about 10,000 pages of case documents and is expected to receive a similar volume in the coming week. She noted that the disclosure process could extend over several months.
Amandeep Singh had his first court appearance on May 15, while the other three defendants were presented on May 7. The four were first seen together in court on May 21. All are facing charges related to first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Amandeep Singh, who was already in custody of Peel Regional Police on unrelated charges, was arrested in November 2023 on nine counts, including unauthorized firearm possession and drug-related offenses.
The remaining three were apprehended in and around Edmonton on May 3 and subsequently transported to British Columbia for the proceedings.
Canadian authorities have not yet disclosed any direct link between the Indian Government and the murder. On May 3, Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, Commander of the Federal Policing Program in the Pacific Region, mentioned ongoing investigations into potential connections with the Indian Government.
The murder of Nijjar on June 18 in Surrey significantly impacted Bharat-Canada relations, especially after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement in the House of Commons, which suggested “credible allegations” of Indian agents’ involvement. Bharat dismissed these allegations as “absurd” and “motivated”.
