Protests as men accused of Sikh activist's murder appear in court

Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar have appeared by video in aBritishColumbiacourt, with scores of Sikh community members gathering inside and outside the hearing.

Protesters outside provincialcourt in Surrey,B.C., carried placards honouring Nijjar, a campaigner for an independent Sikh homeland, and waved the movement's blue and yellow Khalistani flags.

The three suspects Karan Brar, Karanpreet Singh and Kamalpreet Singh wore orange prison jump suits and briefly responded to questions.

A Punjabi interpreter was brought in to help with the hearing for Karanpreet Singh. All of the co-accused will be tried in English.

Brar and Karanpreet Singh agreed through their lawyers to make a next appearance at the Surrey court on May 21. Kamalpreet Singh has yet to secure a lawyer but will also make a next appearance on May 21.

WATCH | Large turnout from local Sikh community for accused killers' court appearance:

Crowds gather at B.C. courthouse where Sikh activists' accused killers set to appear

5 months ago

Duration 2:19

CBC's Karin Larsen reports from provincial court in Surrey, B.C., where the three Indian nationals accused of killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023 were due to appear. Scores of people from the local Sikh community gathered outside the courthouse.

A no-contact order submitted by Crown in co-ordination with police lists seven names, including at leastthree family members of Nijjar.

The orderprohibits direct and indirect communication between the accused and individuals on the list. No-contact orders are common in murder cases and oftenincludenames of potential witnesses, as well as family members of the victim.

Each of the accused,who were arrested in Edmonton on Friday, face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in last June's shooting death of Nijjar, considered a terrorist in India.

The three men are members of an alleged hit squad that investigators believe was tasked by the government of India to carry out the murder.

Police said there is an ongoing investigation intopossible ties to the Indian government. The arrests have strained an already tense relationship between the two countries.

Last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was credible intelligence that India's government was involved in the killing, a claim that India denies.

Some protesters outside court on Friday carried signs bearing the faces of the three suspects along with the slogan "Indian agents arrested."

Nijjar, who was the president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwarain Surrey, was shot dead in his pickup truck while leaving the temple's parking lot last June.

He was a key organizer of unofficial referendums for an independent Sikh state in India and was regarded by India's government as a terrorist.