19/06/2023
Hardeep Singh Nijar, the chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and leader of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey, was shot dead by two unidentified individuals within the premises of the Gurdwara in Canada.
Nijjar, aged 46 and originally from Bhar Singh Pura village in Jalandhar, was known for his active involvement in activities such as operationalizing, networking, training, and financing members of the Khalistan Tiger Force, as stated by the Indian government. He was also associated with Sikh for Justice and had recently traveled to Australia for the referendum voting.
His name had been included in the wanted list handed over by the former Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the latter's visit to India in 2018.
In 2022, the NIA had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to Nijar's arrest, following his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to assassinate a Hindu priest in Jalandhar, Punjab. The conspiracy was attributed to the KTF.
In another incident, Avtar Singh Khanda, who played a leading role in orchestrating the violent incident at the Indian High Commission in London on March 19, and claimed to be the chief of the designated terrorist organization Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), died at Sandwell Hospital in Birmingham.
Also known as Ranjodh Singh, Khanda was a political asylum seeker residing in the UK and played a significant role in radicalizing Sikh youth in support of the separatist movement advocating for the khalistan