Nijjar murder CCTV footage shows 6 men gunning down Khalistani terrorist in Canada: Report

A 90-second surveillance (CCTV) video obtained by The Washington Post shows the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Khalistani terrorist, on June 18, 2023.

The subsequent murder investigation led to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accusing India of involvement in the incident, triggering a chain of events and controversies marring the bilateral relations.

The video shows at least six men and two vehicles involved in the fatal shooting, suggesting a larger operation than previously reported, said The Washington Post.

ALSO READ: Who was Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the dead Khalistani terrorist at the centre of India-Canada tussle?

The surveillance footage that The Washington Post refers to has not been released to the public yet.

The footage, as per the report

• The 90-second surveillance footage captured the moments leading up to Nijjar's killing.
• According to The Washington Post, it shows Nijjar's grey pickup truck exiting the parking space outside the gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia.
• In the meantime, a white sedan pulls up and drives parallel to it.
• The two vehicles momentarily run side by side, separated by a walkway.
• As Nijjar's truck looks to accelerate, the sedan matches its speed, eventually moving in front of the pickup truck to block its path.
• Two men wearing hooded sweatshirts come out from a covered area, pointing firearms at the truck's driver.
• The sedan quickly exits the parking lot, followed by the two assailants. The footage also shows the two gunmen fleeing the scene.
• Witnesses estimated that approximately 50 shots were fired, with 34 striking Nijjar.

Eyewitness accounts

• The Washington Post report used the surveillance footage along with statements provided by eyewitnesses, leading to the conclusion that the incident was a "coordinated attack".
• The report drew conclusions based on the statements of three gurudwara volunteers: Bhupinderjit Singh, Malkit Singh, and Gurmeet Singh Toor.
• All three of them had reportedly seen the assailants and heard the gunshots outside the gurudwara on June 18.
• According to one of these witnesses, the assailants were dressed in a "Sikh appearance". They wore hoodies with small pughs (turbans) on their heads and masks that covered their bearded faces.

In a significant development, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that authorities were pursuing "credible allegations" of involvement by Indian government agents in Nijjar's killing.

These allegations, partially based on intelligence gathered through the Five Eyes alliance, have sparked a diplomatic standoff between Canada and India.

However, India has repeatedly denied any connection to the assassination, labelling Trudeau's comments as baseless.