Sikh separatist group accuses Russia of involvement in killing of B.C. activist

A man holds a sign with a photograph of Hardeep Singh Nijjar during a protest outside the Indian Consulate, in Vancouver, Sept. 25, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A Sikh separatist group is accusing the Russian government of direct involvement in the murder of activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside his gurdwara last year in Surrey, B.C.

Sikhs For Justice, which advocates for a separate Sikh homeland, on Wednesday accused the Russian Embassy in Canada of hacking Nijjar's instant-messaging account and sharing the information with India's Research and Analysis Wing, the country's foreign intelligence agency, to enable the targeted killing.

The 45-year-old Nijjar, a Canadian proponent of the pro-Khalistan secessionist movement, was gunned down in his truck outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara where he was president on June 18, 2023.

Four alleged hitmen, all Indian nationals in their 20s, were arrested and charged earlier this year with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in Nijjar's death. The high-profile case has strained diplomatic relations between India and Canada.

Sikhs For Justice, in a statement Wednesday, alleged the Kremlin was involved in Nijjar's killing, going so far as to offer a $25,000 reward for "information about the public engagements" of Russia's ambassador to Canada and India's ambassador to the United States.

The statement denounced what the group calls the "Russia-India terror nexus" allegedly aimed at silencing Sikh separatists in North America.

Sikhs For Justice claims the Russian Embassy hacked Nijjar's Telegram messaging account in May 2023 and shared the information with Indian intelligence ahead of Nijjar's death.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the group's lawyer, said in the statement that his own Telegram account was hacked in a foiled plot to kill him last year.

According to U.S. authorities, Pannun was to be assassinated in New York City just days after the murder of Nijjar.

In October, U.S. prosecutors announced criminal charges against an Indian government employee in relation to the alleged plot to kill Pannun.

"This unholy Russia-India alliance is not just a threat to Sikhs but a danger to democracy and human rights globally," Pannun said in the statement. "We will hold both nations accountable for their role in this terror nexus."

Sikhs For Justice accuses Oleg Stepanov, the Russian ambassador to Canada, and Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the Indian ambassador to the U.S., of "jointly operating surveillance and spy networks to monitor and suppress pro-Khalistan campaigns in North America."

The Russian Embassy in Canada and the Indian Embassy in the U.S. did not immediately respond to the group's allegations. This story will be updated if and when a response is received.

India has banned Sikhs For Justice as an "unlawful association" and denies involvement in Nijjar's killing and the purported plot against Pannun.