Multiple shots were shot at the home of an associate of pro-Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in the town of Surrey in British Columbia last year.
Canadian media reports said that the owner of the house has been identified as Simranjeet Singh. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday (February 1). As per the news reports, a car was seen parked at the residence, which was also riddled with bullets.
The Surrey detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed the “shots fired incident at a residence in South Surrey”.
Surrey RCMP in a statement said that on February 1, at approximately 1.21 am, it received a report of shots fired at a residence and frontline officers attended the scene and located evidence consistent with a shooting.
The release further said that Surrey RCMP’s Major Crime Section is conducting the investigation. Investigators believe this was an isolated incident, the release said. The officers were still working to determine the motive of this incident.
As per the news report, Moninder Singh, the spokesperson for the B.C. Gurdwaras Council, said community members believe homeowner Simranjeet Singh's connection with Hardeep Singh Nijjar might have played a part in the shooting.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in the Punjabi-dominated Surrey city of British Columbia province.
India-Canada ties touched a new low in September 2023 after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said that Ottawa was “actively pursuing credible allegations” that Indian agents were potentially linked to Nijjar’s killing in June. Meanwhile, New Delhi has repeatedly asked Ottawa to furnish solid proof.
In December 2023, Justin Trudeau said that he had made the allegations public, anticipating that the information would eventually be leaked.
Last month, Canada's outgoing National Security Advisor (NSA) Jody Thomas said that India is actively collaborating in the probe of the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist by India.
Describing the altering relationship as an “evolution," Thomas, as reported by Canada-based CTV News, stated that progress has been achieved in strengthening this relationship.