In a startling revelation, it has come to light that Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the slain chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and a wanted terrorist, arrived in Toronto, Canada, under the alias ‘Ravi Sharma’ 26 years ago. His asylum claim alleged severe persecution by the Indian government, including torture by Punjab Police and wrongful arrests of his family members.
However, Canada’s immigration records have unveiled a different story – Nijjar had used a counterfeit passport to enter the country. Despite the questionable authenticity of his documents, his immigration file remained open for approximately four years. During this period, he married a Canadian citizen, a move believed to facilitate fresh claims for asylum.
Nijjar, originally a plumber by profession, managed to secure Canadian citizenship in 2001, around the same time he became associated with the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). His entry into the BKI ranks was facilitated through his close ties with Jagtar Singh Tara, a former chief of the KTF. At that time, the BKI was under the leadership of Sukhdev Singh Babbar.
Over the years, Nijjar and Tara remained closely aligned, both committed to the Khalistan movement. Their connections came to light in 2014 when Nijjar traveled to Thailand to meet Tara, who was involved in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. Nijjar provided financial assistance to Tara during this visit.
According to intelligence sources, Nijjar traveled to Pakistan on Tara’s instructions, aiming to coordinate Tara’s escape from Thailand with the help of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. However, their escape plan was foiled, and Tara was eventually brought back to India in 2015.
Meanwhile, Nijjar returned to Canada and assumed leadership of the KTF. Under his leadership, the KTF began a large-scale indoctrination and recruitment drive, primarily targeting youths, including drug addicts, from Punjab. These recruits were trained in Canada and dispatched to Punjab for targeted killings, a sinister plot that was exposed through Nijjar’s involvement in numerous killings between 2014 and 2016.
The arrest of a key KTF member, Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal, further unveiled the extent of Nijjar’s operation. In recent years, Nijjar had become increasingly involved in anti-India activities. In 2020, he was listed as a terrorist and faced charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for training and financing KTF module members.
Last July, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for information leading to Nijjar’s arrest in connection with a conspiracy to assassinate Hindu priest Kamaldeep Sharma in Jalandhar in January 2021.
His last known activities included the display of a controversial tableau depicting the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during a ‘Nagar Kirtan’ procession in Brampton in June. Additionally, he was seen participating in a vandalism incident at the Ottawa high commission in March.
Tragically, Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s life came to a violent end on June 18, 2021, when he was shot dead by two unidentified assailants in the parking lot of a gurdwara, marking the conclusion of his tumultuous journey from asylum seeker to a wanted terrorist.
