Suspects of Nijjar killing still in Canada, to be arrested soon: Report

Two people, who have been suspected of being involved in Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar's fatal shooting in British Columbia, are under police surveillance as per reports and are likely to be apprehended by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in the next few weeks, as stated by Canadian daily The Globe and Mail.

In a fatal attack, 45-year-old Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot multiple times while he was moving out of a Sikh temple in Surrey on June 18. Before the attack, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service had earlier warned him of a potential threatto his life.

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As per the report published in Globe and Mail, the suspected assailants were in Canada after the killing and remained under police surveillance. It is likely that the RCMP will make arrests soon and charges will be pressed against the individuals. The sources said that more details regarding the alleged involvement of the accused and the Indian government will be disclosed by the police.

India-Canada's strained ties

The relations between India and Canada have been dented after Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed on June 18 as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of playing a role in the assassination of Nijjar. The charges were rejected by India as the diplomatic ties strained. Temporarily, India suspended visa operations in Canada and 41 Canadian diplomats - who were posted in India - were sent back while holding them responsible for interference in the internal affairs of India.

New Delhi said that Ottawa has turned into a haven for Khalistani terrorists and that despite being nudged by India, the Canadian government took no action against these elements. On the other hand, India has said it is willing to cooperate with the investigation into the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Watch:Pannun Murder Plot: Canada PM tones down rhetoric on India

Meanwhile, an Indian man Nikhil Gupta has been charged by the United States of conspiring to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil. After the US indictment, the Canadian PM said that he feels the relations with India are likely to have undergone a tonal shift. "I think there is a beginning of an understanding that they can't bluster their way through this and there is an openness to collaborating in a way that perhaps they were less open before," said Trudeau.

Reacting to US allegations, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a recent interview with Financial Times, said that India will look into all the information it has received in the matter. "If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law," said PM Modi.

(With inputs from agencies)