Gurdwara CCTV camera recorded Nijjar’s ‘organised’ killing in Canada: Report

The assassination of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18 in Canada’s Surrey was an organized operation involving at least six men and two vehicles, The Washington Post has reported. The Post has reported this based on footage captured by a gurdwara CCTV camera and witnesses it spoke to.

How it happened

The assassination took place outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara which Nijjar (45) was leaving. In the 90-second clip, Nijjar’s grey pickup truck can be seen pulling out of the parking lot. As he leaves, so does a white sedan from the next lot and drives parallel to the truck separated by a walkway.

As the truck speeds up, so does the sedan and their lanes merge. For a moment, they drive side by side. Once they arrive at the parking lot exit, the sedan pulls up in front of the truck and brakes to block its way.

At the same time, two men in hoodies emerge from a waiting area and move towards the truck, each pointing a gun towards the driver’s side. The sedan swifty drives out of the parking lot while the two men run in the same direction as well. According to Sikh community members quoted by The Post, investigators told them that the men fired some 50 bullets, of which 34 hit Nijjar.

The witness who gave chase

According to Bhupinderjit Singh, a witness quoted by The Post, he was playing football nearby when he heard the gunshots. He was the first to reach Nijjar’s truck but the leader did not seem to be breathing. As another Gurdwara leader pulled up in his pickup truck, Bhupinderjit got in and they left in search of the gunmen.

According to Malkit Singh, another witness quoted by The Post, he saw two hooded men running towards the nearby Cougar Creek Park and gave chase. Malkit reportedly said he did not recognize the men but described them as wearing “a Sikh get-up” with masks over their “bearded faces.” One was just over five feet tall and heavyset, while the other was slightly taller and leaner.

According to Malkit, the men ran out of the park and got into a waiting silver car in which three other men were waiting. He could not see their faces. One of the men allegedly pointed a pistol at him before getting into the car. The men then drove off.

Charanjeet Singh, the gurdwara’s caretaker, reportedly saw unknown men recording videos of the crime scene.

What investigators did

According to the local Sikh community, the authorities have told them very little about the investigation. They have alleged that police arrived at least 12 to 20 minutes after the shooting, and the delay was furthered by a disagreement over which agency should probe the incident. There was reportedly an hours-long tussle between Surrey Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team over jurisdiction.

Business owners and locals have even alleged, according to The Post, that investigators did not ask them any questions or request CCTV footage. More than a month after the assassination, on July 21, the authorities reportedly asked the public to help them identify the two gunmen. It took them until August 16 to ask for help identifying a silver 2008 Toyota Camry and its driver.

The video studied by The Post has now reportedly been shared with investigators.

That was what the reports of the investigation had been until last week, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dropped a bombshell by declaring in parliament that they were pursuing “credible allegations” that agents of the Indian government were involved in Nijjar’s killing.

Canada has since said the allegations were based on information gathered by the intelligence-sharing Five Eyes alliance of which Canada is a part. Canadian authorities claim they have intelligence reports, including intercepted communications of Indian diplomats, some of them on Canadian soil.