SURREY, B.C. – Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court in Surrey, B.C., Tuesday over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with New Delhi.

Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karan Brar were arrested in Edmonton last week and are scheduled to appear in Surrey Provincial Court at 9:30 a.m.

All face charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to murder.

Nijjar, an advocate for an independent Sikh homeland and president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, was shot dead in his pickup truck while leaving the Surrey temple’s parking lot last June.

In September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons that credible intelligence suggested India’s government played a role in the killing, which it denies.

Police who announced the arrests last week said investigations about a possible connection to India’s government continue.

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

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2024.