New Delhi: Hardeep Singh Nijjar went to Canada in 1997 as a “plumber”, soon rose to be the chief of pro-Khalistan outfit Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), and then a wanted, designated terrorist in India.
Nijjar, 46, who hailed from Bhar Singh Pura village in Jalandhar’s Phillaur tehsil, was shot dead by two unidentified assailants on the premises of a gurdwara in Surrey at 8.27 pm local time while he was returning home, according to reports.
He was the head of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey.
Nijjar is the latest entrant in the list of Khalistani separatists either being murdered or poisoned in the last few months. The list includes the likes of designated terrorist and Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar alias Malik Sardar Singh and UK-based chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) Avtar Singh Khanda.
According to sources in the security establishment, Nijjar played a key role in recruitment, training and financing the KTF and was also an active member of the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a separatist organisation banned in India.
“He played a key role in promoting the secessionist agenda and represented the SFJ in Canada. In fact, he was a close associate of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the founder of SFJ, and was promoting the Referendum 2020 campaign at their behest in Brampton,” one of the sources said.
“He had gone to Canada as a plumber, but soon rose to become the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh temple. He, in fact, had taken that position by force. He expanded his network in Canada and had also made trips to Pakistan to meet his associates,” the source said. “He was also a regular at the protests in front of the Consulate General of India, Vancouver and often gathered crowds for the purpose.”
The KTF chief’s name featured in the wanted list that former Punjab chief minister Amrinder Singh handed over to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his visit to India in 2018.
Also Read: Wanted terrorist & Khalistan Commando Force chief Paramjit Panjwar shot dead in Pakistan’s Lahore
Had a reward of Rs 10 lakh against his name
Nijjar faced four cases that were registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) pertaining to Sikh radicalism and waging war against the country and carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh against his name.
He was also named in the FIR that the NIA registered in December 2020 during the farmers’ protests in Delhi.
According to the FIR, Nijjar, along with SFJ founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and KTF member Paramjit Singh Pamma, conspired to create an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness, causing disaffection among people, and inciting them to rise in rebellion against the government.
The trio started campaigns in the garb of ‘Human Rights advocacy group’ with its offices in various countries like the US, Canada, the UK, Australia — all of which were frontal offices of Khalistan terrorist outfits operating from foreign soils including from Pakistan, the NIA said.
According to the NIA sources, several social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube channels and a number of websites were used to “spread hatred and to radicalise impressionable youth, to cause disturbance to peace and harmony of India.” The NIA said that funds were also raised from across the world for terrorist activities.
“These funds were collected in several countries for the propaganda against the government of India. This also included staging of demonstrations outside Indian missions in the US, the UK, Germany, and Canada,” a source said.
In May, two unidentified gunmen killed KCF chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar alias Malik Sardar Singh at Lahore in Pakistan. He was targeted while walking near his house.
Last week, UK-based KLF chief Avtar Singh Khanda, the main handler of radical preacher Amritpal Singh, was put on life support at a London hospital, after suspected poisoning. Khanda had helped Amritpal evade police for 37 days, according to the sources.
In November last year, there were reports of poisoning of gangster-turned-Khalistan terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, the alleged mastermind of the RPG attack on Punjab Police’s intelligence headquarters in Mohali. Though it was said that he was killed in Pakistan, authorities have not confirmed the death.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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