Global News
Posted May 8, 2024
Posted May 8, 2024
One of the suspects accused of gunning down B.C. Sikh temple leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar entered Canada using a study permit that he said took only days to obtain.
In a video posted online in 2019, Karan Brar said he applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Bathinda, in India’s Punjab state.
“And in a few days I received my study visa,” he said.
EthicWorks posted the promotional video on its Facebook page, along with a photo of Brar, whom the company said was from the city of Kotkapura, north of Bathinda.
“Congratulations Karan Brar for Canada study visa,” the caption below the video read. “One more happy client from Kotkapura.”
Immigration Minister Marc Miller has declined to answer questions about how the suspects came to Canada, but online posts indicate that Brar arrived on a student permit three years before the killing.
A separate Facebook page that appears to belong to Brar said he began studying at Bow Valley College in Calgary on April 30, 2020, and moved to Edmonton on May 4, 2020.
A college spokesperson confirmed a Karan Brar was enrolled in the Hospital Unit Clerk program in 2020. The program spans eight months, raising questions about why he remained in Canada years later.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has not yet responded to questions about the matter.
In a video posted online in 2019, Karan Brar said he applied for a student visa through EthicWorks Immigration Services in Bathinda, in India’s Punjab state.
“And in a few days I received my study visa,” he said.
EthicWorks posted the promotional video on its Facebook page, along with a photo of Brar, whom the company said was from the city of Kotkapura, north of Bathinda.
“Congratulations Karan Brar for Canada study visa,” the caption below the video read. “One more happy client from Kotkapura.”
Immigration Minister Marc Miller has declined to answer questions about how the suspects came to Canada, but online posts indicate that Brar arrived on a student permit three years before the killing.
A separate Facebook page that appears to belong to Brar said he began studying at Bow Valley College in Calgary on April 30, 2020, and moved to Edmonton on May 4, 2020.
A college spokesperson confirmed a Karan Brar was enrolled in the Hospital Unit Clerk program in 2020. The program spans eight months, raising questions about why he remained in Canada years later.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has not yet responded to questions about the matter.
Kamalpreet Singh (left), Karanpreet Singh (centre), and Karan Brar (right)are charged with murder and conspiracy in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/RCMP. RJB
Brar, 22, was arrested in Edmonton on Friday, along with Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karanpreet Singh, 28. They appeared in court in Surrey, B.C. on Tuesday to face murder and conspiracy charges.
Two of them allegedly shot Nijjar in the parking lot of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Temple on June 18, 2023, while the other drove the getaway car.
Nijjar was a prominent leader of the Khalistan movement, which seeks independence for India’s Sikh-majority Punjab state. India views separatists as a threat to its national security.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last September that Canada’s investigation had found possible links to agents of the Indian government. India has denied the allegations.
The RCMP told reporters at a news conference Friday that multiple investigations were still underway, and that police were examining the suspected involvement of the Indian government.
The three suspects are all Indian citizens who were living in Edmonton, police said.
Brar, 22, was arrested in Edmonton on Friday, along with Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karanpreet Singh, 28. They appeared in court in Surrey, B.C. on Tuesday to face murder and conspiracy charges.
Two of them allegedly shot Nijjar in the parking lot of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Temple on June 18, 2023, while the other drove the getaway car.
Nijjar was a prominent leader of the Khalistan movement, which seeks independence for India’s Sikh-majority Punjab state. India views separatists as a threat to its national security.
Edmonton's breaking news sent to your email as it happens.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last September that Canada’s investigation had found possible links to agents of the Indian government. India has denied the allegations.
The RCMP told reporters at a news conference Friday that multiple investigations were still underway, and that police were examining the suspected involvement of the Indian government.
The three suspects are all Indian citizens who were living in Edmonton, police said.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Facebook
The arrests have led to questions about the immigration status of the men, amid criticism of government policies that have fueled a spike in foreign students.
Facing complaints that its surging international student numbers were causing problems with everything from housing to health care, the government has vowed to scale back the program.
In January, Miller said the student visa system had become open to abuse and imposed a cap on intake for the next two years, while also placing limits on work permits for foreign students.
EthicWorks Immigration Services said on its website that “Canada continues to attract more international students, even after reaching close to half a million students in recent years.”
The company is based near Ghora Chowk, Bathinda, India. According to corporate records it was registered in Canada in 2021. Its registered office is in Melfort, Sask.
Corporate records indicate the address is the residence of company director Hirdepal Brar. The second director, Jashanpreet Sidhu, lives in Brampton, Ont, the records show.
The arrests have led to questions about the immigration status of the men, amid criticism of government policies that have fueled a spike in foreign students.
Facing complaints that its surging international student numbers were causing problems with everything from housing to health care, the government has vowed to scale back the program.
In January, Miller said the student visa system had become open to abuse and imposed a cap on intake for the next two years, while also placing limits on work permits for foreign students.
EthicWorks Immigration Services said on its website that “Canada continues to attract more international students, even after reaching close to half a million students in recent years.”
The company is based near Ghora Chowk, Bathinda, India. According to corporate records it was registered in Canada in 2021. Its registered office is in Melfort, Sask.
Corporate records indicate the address is the residence of company director Hirdepal Brar. The second director, Jashanpreet Sidhu, lives in Brampton, Ont, the records show.
Registered office of EthicWorks Immigration Services in Meltford, Sask. Google Maps
Sidhu declined to disclose any details about Brar’s visa application, citing privacy.
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“I’m not sure when he exactly came to Canada, but the application was done in 2019,” he said.
Both directors are registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, a federal regulatory body. Its website said Hirdepal Brar has been licensed since 2018, and Sidhu obtained his license in 2019.
On its former website, which is no longer active, the company said it was founded by international students who came to Canada a decade ago, and have since immigrated.
It offers to “hold you by the hand” through the visa and immigration process.
Sidhu declined to disclose any details about Brar’s visa application, citing privacy.
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“I’m not sure when he exactly came to Canada, but the application was done in 2019,” he said.
Both directors are registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, a federal regulatory body. Its website said Hirdepal Brar has been licensed since 2018, and Sidhu obtained his license in 2019.
On its former website, which is no longer active, the company said it was founded by international students who came to Canada a decade ago, and have since immigrated.
It offers to “hold you by the hand” through the visa and immigration process.
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The arrests risked further inflaming tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa, and coincided with Friday’s release of the interim report of the public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada’s elections.
The report said intelligence indicated that “Indian proxy agents” may have attempted to meddle in federal election by providing “illicit financial support to various Canadian politicians as a means of attempting to secure the election of pro-India candidates or gaining influence over candidates who take office.”
“In some instances, the candidates may never know their campaigns received illicit funds.”
In its annual report, released Tuesday, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service also identified India as one of the “major perpetrators” of foreign interference and espionage in Canada.
India was named along with China, Russia and Iran.
2:49 Is there a connection between India and a notorious gang?
“In 2023, these states and their intelligence services continued to engage in a variety of hostile foreign interference and espionage activities to advance their objectives and interests,” CSIS wrote.
The report said that before Trudeau announced India’s possible role in Nijjar’s killing, Director David Vigneault and then National Security Intelligence Advisor Jody Thomas travelled to India to discuss the matter with their counterparts.
“In response to the serious allegations, Director Vigneault stated that Canada and its allies require accountability from the Government of India concerning its potential involvement in the murder of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.”
Khalistani flags, protests outside Canada court as Nijjar murder suspects appear
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside a Surrey, British Columbia, court as three Indian nationals accused of killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar appeared for a hearing.
Members of British Columbia's Sikh community gather in front of the courthouse in Surrey, British Columbia, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 (Credits: AP)
India Today
New Delhi,
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside a Surrey, British Columbia, court as three Indian nationals accused of killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar appeared for a hearing.
Members of British Columbia's Sikh community gather in front of the courthouse in Surrey, British Columbia, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 (Credits: AP)
India Today
New Delhi,
UPDATED: May 8, 2024
Written By: Vani Mehrotra
In ShortThree Indian nationals accused of killing Nijjar appear in Canadian court
Protests erupt outside court, supporters seen with placards honouring Nijjar
Case adjourned to May 21
Protests erupted outside the provincial court in Surrey, British Columbia, as the three Indian nationals, accused of killing Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, appeared before it on Tuesday.
Pictures and videos on social media showed hundreds of protesters carrying placards honouring Nijjar, and waving the movement's blue and yellow flags.
A separate overflow room inside the courthouse was opened to accommodate an additional 50 people who wanted to witness the hearing, local media reports said.
Another 100 or so people outside the courthouse carried posters supporting Sikh separatism.
The three men, Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22), and Karanpreet Singh (28), all residing in Edmonton, were arrested and charged on Friday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
They appeared separately by video in front of a packed Surrey provincial courtroom on Tuesday, to face homicide charges in the case.
The case was adjourned to May 21 to give the accused the time to consult with their lawyers, the Vancouver Sun newspaper reported.
The three accused also agreed to have the proceedings heard in English and each of them nodded that they understood the charges of first-degree murder and conspiring to murder Nijjar, the report said.
The court granted the Crown prosecutor's request for a no-contact order naming seven people under a Canada Criminal Code section that bans the accused from communicating directly or indirectly with any of them.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023.
The killing sparked a wave of protests, with some Sikh groups circulating posters that threatened Indian diplomats in Canada by name.
In September last year, the ties between India and Canada came under severe strain after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar's killing.
India dismissed Trudeau's charges as "absurd" and "motivated."
Written By: Vani Mehrotra
In ShortThree Indian nationals accused of killing Nijjar appear in Canadian court
Protests erupt outside court, supporters seen with placards honouring Nijjar
Case adjourned to May 21
Protests erupted outside the provincial court in Surrey, British Columbia, as the three Indian nationals, accused of killing Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, appeared before it on Tuesday.
Pictures and videos on social media showed hundreds of protesters carrying placards honouring Nijjar, and waving the movement's blue and yellow flags.
A separate overflow room inside the courthouse was opened to accommodate an additional 50 people who wanted to witness the hearing, local media reports said.
Another 100 or so people outside the courthouse carried posters supporting Sikh separatism.
The three men, Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22), and Karanpreet Singh (28), all residing in Edmonton, were arrested and charged on Friday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
They appeared separately by video in front of a packed Surrey provincial courtroom on Tuesday, to face homicide charges in the case.
The case was adjourned to May 21 to give the accused the time to consult with their lawyers, the Vancouver Sun newspaper reported.
The three accused also agreed to have the proceedings heard in English and each of them nodded that they understood the charges of first-degree murder and conspiring to murder Nijjar, the report said.
The court granted the Crown prosecutor's request for a no-contact order naming seven people under a Canada Criminal Code section that bans the accused from communicating directly or indirectly with any of them.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023.
The killing sparked a wave of protests, with some Sikh groups circulating posters that threatened Indian diplomats in Canada by name.
In September last year, the ties between India and Canada came under severe strain after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar's killing.
India dismissed Trudeau's charges as "absurd" and "motivated."
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