Canada court denies bail for Nijjar murder accused, imposes mandatory detention

Canadian authorities have dismissed reports suggesting that four Indian nationals accused of murdering Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia were granted bail.

Officials clarified that the accused individuals remain under mandatory detention orders.

According to Ann Seymour, a senior official with the Canadian Ministry of Attorney General, a court in British Columbia had issued the detention orders, which will keep the accused in custody until their trial.

The next hearing is set for February, where a case management conference will be held on February 11 to discuss pre-trial matters and potentially set trial dates.

Seymour further emphasized that while the court may review bail applications in the future, the serious nature of the charges—first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder—means that bail is unlikely at this stage. She also addressed reports indicating the release of the accused, stating that these claims were inaccurate. "The court imposed mandatory detention orders on all four accused. All four accused continue to remain in custody, and there are no bail hearings scheduled," she confirmed.

Confusion over the status of the accused arose when court records listed them as 'N,' which some interpreted as them being released. However, Seymour reaffirmed that the individuals remain in custody under the court's orders.

The murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar has sparked a significant diplomatic rift between India and Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested the involvement of Indian government agents in the killing, a claim India has strongly rejected as baseless and politically driven.

For years, India has criticized Canada for allegedly harboring extremist elements associated with the Khalistan movement, which advocates for an independent Sikh state. This issue has long been a source of tension between the two countries.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has also raised concerns about Canada's lack of concrete evidence or formal communication regarding the murder, despite the arrest of Indian nationals linked to the case.

Meanwhile, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), leading the investigation into Nijjar's murder, has formally charged the accused with murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

However, Canadian authorities have yet to release any publicly available evidence linking the crime to Indian government involvement, despite ongoing media speculation in Canada.