Canadian police have made arrests in the fatal shooting of Sikh-Canadian activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, which took place in 2023. Three people were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. All three individuals are Indian nationals and were arrested in Edmonton, Alberta. The arrests are set to fuel more diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, as authorities had earlier accused Indian government agents of being involved in the killing.

Najjar was the president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, the temple where he was killed, and was among those advocating for Khalistan, a sovereign state in India’s Punjab region. Tensions had been growing between Canada and India over the Khalistan movement, which has supporters in Canada.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had accused Indian government agents of being involved in Nijjar’s killing, which had led to a fierce response from India. New Delhi had rejected the allegations as politically motivated and absurd. The Indian government has long faced allegations of targeting political opponents, journalists, and religious minorities, including Muslims and Sikhs, in an effort to stifle dissent.

While welcoming the arrests, Danish Singh, president of the World Sikh Organization of Canada advocacy group, said that identifying and bringing to justice those who directed these operations is even more critical. Reports of an alleged plot to kill another prominent Sikh separatist leader in the US have also emerged following Nijjar’s death.