Three Indian nationals have been arrested and charged over the over the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada last year, reports emerged.

This was stated by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Assistant Commissioner David Teboul.

Addressing a press conference on Friday, he added that the police are “investigating if there are any ties to the Government of India”.

Teboul was quoted as saying, “There are separate and distinct investigations ongoing into these matters, certainly not limited to the involvement of the people arrested today, and these efforts include investigating connections to the government of India.”

The arrested suspects have been identified as Karan Brar, Karanpreet Singh and Kamalpreet Singh, all men in their 20s, who were residing in Edmonton.

Court documents show Karanpreet Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karan Brar are each facing one count of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to murder in Nijjar's death.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar (45) was shot dead on June 18, 2023 by masked gunmen outside a temple in a Vancouver suburb. The killing triggered a diplomatic row between Canada and India, after PM Justin Trudeau alleged the Indian state may have been involved.