CSIS Warned BC Sikh Temple Leader Of Assassination Threat Before Assassination: Lawyer
A close associate of Sikh community leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar says his friend was warned by Canadian intelligence officials that he was being targeted for assassination by “mercenaries” before Nijjar was shot on Sunday in Surrey, BC.
New York-based lawyer Gurpatwant Singh Pannun says in a statement that he spoke to Nijjar by phone outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara where he was president the day before he was killed.
Pannun says Nijjar spoke of an unofficial Khalistan referendum vote for a separate Sikh state they organized, and threats to their safety in connection with a reward offered by the Indian government for Nijjar’s detention.
He says Nijjar told him that “gangsters” said they were both on a hit list, and that days later Nijjar received a call from Canadian Security Intelligence warning that his life was in danger.
Pannun, general adviser to the advocacy group Sikhs For Justice, says he has no doubt the killing was ordered by Indian government officials, who claim Nijjar was involved in “violent or criminal activity in India or elsewhere”.
Sergeant Tim Pierotti of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, which is leading the investigation, said Monday he was aware of speculation about the motives behind the attack, but would guide the case with evidence.
The National Investigation Agency did not immediately respond to an email request for comment on Nijjar’s murder.
Pannun says he has received a growing number of threats as the Sikh separatist movement gains strength worldwide.
Nijjar faces charges of terrorism and conspiracy to kill a Hindu priest in India, with the National Counter-Terrorism Investigation Agency announcing a $16,000 reward last year for information leading to his arrest.
Surrey RCMP says Nijjar was shot dead in his vehicle as he exited the parking lot of the Surrey Gurdwara around 8.30pm on Sunday.
Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards says there were numerous witnesses and asked them to put aside their fears and come forward to help the investigation.
A vigil was held at the Surrey Gurdwara on Monday night, attended by hundreds of people.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 20, 2023.
