Canada took a big step against India, direct trial of these four Indians in Nijjar murder case

India-Canada Row: In Canada, the inclination towards Khalistan supporters is not showing any signs of ending. India-Canada relations are already tense, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is linking his politics to the Khalistani vote bank. Despite there being no concrete evidence in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder case, the Canadian government has taken a new step in the case. Now it has been announced to start direct trial against four Indian citizens without preliminary hearing.

According to the BC Prosecution Service of Canada, this decision means that the case will go directly to the Supreme Court and the preliminary hearing stage will be skipped. This process usually gives the accused an opportunity to cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses and investigate the case, but this decision will deny the defense the opportunity, which could make the trial process more difficult.

Such a decision is taken in very few cases
Under the Criminal Code of Canada, direct indictment is used in very few cases. According to the information, its decision is the responsibility of the Attorney General and it is taken only in special cases of public interest. Such cases may involve the safety of witnesses and their families or other sensitive issues.

Who are these four Indian accused?
The accused include Karan Brar, Amandeep Singh, Kamalpreet Singh and Karanpreet Singh. They are accused of murder and conspiring to murder Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023. Let us tell you that all four were arrested in May this year. However, there has been no significant progress in the judicial proceedings and till now the hearing of the case has been postponed five times. Now the case has been scheduled for hearing on 11 February 2025.

Impact on India-Canada relations
This decision of Canada can further spoil its relations with India. The Trudeau government’s inclination towards Khalistan and giving political color to the matter despite lack of evidence is increasing bitterness in bilateral relations. India has already given a strong reaction on this issue and it is believed that now this step of the Canadian government can further escalate the dispute.

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