Hardeep Singh Nijjar Age, Death, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Hardeep Singh Nijjar

• Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a Canadian Sikh extremist and the leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).

• Reportedly, Hardeep Singh Nijjar relocated to Canada with his family in 1996 following which he started working as a plumber to support himself.

• As per reports, Nijjar became involved in terrorism after his association with the Sikh militant organisation Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

• Hardeep Singh was one of the conspirators of the 2010 bombing of the Satyanarayan Mandir in Patiala, which injured many people.

• In 2012, Nijjar presented a petition containing over 20,000 signatures to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in Geneva, Switzerland. The petition called for an autonomous inquiry into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that occurred in India.

• Nijjar visited Pakistan in 2013-14 to meet the then-commander of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), Jagtar Singh Tara.

• In 2014, Nijjar reportedly masterminded the assassination of Baba Bhaniara, a religious leader.

• According to sources, he organized a training camp in 2015 during which he provided training to Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal, a gangster.

• The Indian government requested the Canadian government to send Nijjar back to India after issuing a Lookout Circular (LOhe organized a training camp during which he provided training to Mandeep Singh DhaliwalC) against him on 23 January 2015.
  

  Hardeep posing for a photo with an AK-47

• In December 2015, Indian intelligence agencies informed their Canadian counterparts about a small guns training camp set up by the KTF, under Nijjar’s leadership, in British Columbia, Canada. However, no action was taken against Nijjar by the Canadian authorities due to a lack of evidence. While denying the claims of the Indian government, in an interview, Nijjar said,
  

  I am a Sikh nationalist who believes in and supports Sikhs right to self determination and independence of Indian occupied Punjab through a future referendum. I have never believed in, supported or been involved in any violent activity. For the past several years I have been actively highlighting the human rights violations committed against Sikhs in India. Some of my activities include the campaign to recognize 1984 anti-Sikh violence as genocide; raising awareness about torture and extra judicial killing of Sikhs by Indian security forces; and, as noted above, advocacy for Sikhs’ right to self-determination of Indian occupied Punjab.”

• A Red Corner Notice (RCN) was issued against Nijjar by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on 14 March 2016.

• Although the Canadian police arrested him in April 2018, he was soon released due to lack of evidence.

• Nijjar was later appointed the president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada. As per sources, he became the president by pressuring the Gurudwara committee to elect him as the president.

• Later, he worked together with the prohibited Canadian group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). He played an important part in helping the SFJ in arranging the Referendum-2020 in Brampton, Canada.
  

  A photo of Hardeep Singh Nijjar taken during the Referendum-2020 in Brampton, Canada

• In 2020, the Punjab government, led by Captain Amarinder Singh, seized Nijjar’s 11 kanals and 13.5 marlas of land in his ancestral village.

• Nijjar was designated as an individual terrorist by the NIA in July 2020.

• In November 2020, he reportedly formed an alliance with Arsh Dalla, a Canada-based gangster. In 2021, they got implicated in the murder of Manohar Lal, a follower of Dera Sacha Sauda; Lal was murdered at his office in Bhagta Bhai Ka, Punjab.

• He was awarded the Radical Desi Medal of Courage for his significant involvement in the Khalistani movement in 2021.

• In 2022, Nijjar was one of the conspirators who killed Kamaldeep Sharma, a Hindu priest, in Jalandhar, Punjab. Following the murder, the NIA filed a case against Nijjar and placed an award of Rs. 10 lacs on him.
  

  A snapshot of the chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against NIjjar

• A chargesheet was filed against him by the NIA in the same year for orchestrating the murder of Ripudaman Singh Malik, one of the individuals accused in the Air India bombing incident of 1985.

• He later assumed the post of director in the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).

• Reportedly, Nijjar played a crucial role in arranging and carrying out protests against India in Canada in 2023, specifically outside the Indian embassy in Toronto.

• According to reports, Hardeep Singh Nijjar purportedly collaborated with Lawrence Bishnoi, rendering logistical support to his gang members stationed outside India.

• Besides holding the post of the head of the KTF, Nijjar was also associated with the Khalistani organization Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

• According to reports, he faced legal action with more than 10 First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against him for his involvement in activities such as identifying, connecting, training, and financing Khalistani cells in India.

• Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed by two unknown gunmen within the premises of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara in Surrey, Canada on the 18th of June 2023 at approximately 8:27 pm. As per sources, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was murdered due to the internal conflict among various Khalistani organizations in Canada. ^[2]Deccan Herald

• In September 2023, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau accused the Indian intelligence agency R&AW of playing a role in killing Nijjar. Thereafter, the Canadian government expelled an Indian diplomat as a result of which the Indian government expelled a senior Canadian diplomat. ^[3]BBC Later, the Canadian government said that the reason for expelling the Indian diplomat was not to “provoke” India but to urge the Indian government to look into the Khalistan issue through appropriate channels. ^[4]Hindustan Times

• After Justin’s accusations, Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu made claims about Justin Trudeau’s party receiving funds from various terrorists, including Nijjar. Bittu went on to assert that Nijjar had relocated to Canada from India in 1993 and had connections with those responsible for the assassination of his grandfather, Beant Singh, in 1995. ^[5]India Today

• In 2023, Jagmeet Singh, a Canadian politician, made a commitment to pursue justice for Nijjar, which he expressed in a social media post following Justin Trudeau’s remarks. In the post, Singh asserted that he would leave no stone unturned, even if it would require holding Prime Minister Narendra Modi accountable in the pursuit of justice. ^[6]India Today
  

  Jagmeet Singh’s post on X about seeking justice for the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar

• In 2023, the United States Department of Justice indicted Nikhil Gupta, an Indian citizen, for planning Gurpatwant Singh’s assassination in association with an Indian agent referred to as CC-1 in New York. According to a document released by the US Justice Department, Nikhil once told an alleged ‘hitman,’ who later turned out to be an undercover US law enforcement officer, that Hardeep Singh Nijjar was also a target. ^[7]The Guardian

• In May 2024, Canadian police arrested three Indians, Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karanpreet Singh, in connection with Nijjar’s killing.
  

  (from left to right) Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karanpreet Singh, the three individuals arrested in relation to the murder in Canada of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar