Khalistani flags, protests outside Canada court as Nijjar murder suspects appear

Protests erupted outside the provincial court in Surrey, British Columbia, as the three Indian nationals, accused of killing Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, appeared before it on Tuesday.

Pictures and videos on social media showed hundreds of protesters carrying placards honouring Nijjar, and waving the movement's blue and yellow flags.

A separate overflow room inside the courthouse was opened to accommodate an additional 50 people who wanted to witness the hearing, local media reports said.

Another 100 or so people outside the courthouse carried posters supporting Sikh separatism.

The three men, Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22), and Karanpreet Singh (28), all residing in Edmonton, were arrested and charged on Friday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

They appeared separately by video in front of a packed Surrey provincial courtroom on Tuesday, to face homicide charges in the case.

The case was adjourned to May 21 to give the accused the time to consult with their lawyers, the Vancouver Sun newspaper reported.

The three accused also agreed to have the proceedings heard in English and each of them nodded that they understood the charges of first-degree murder and conspiring to murder Nijjar, the report said.

The court granted the Crown prosecutor's request for a no-contact order naming seven people under a Canada Criminal Code section that bans the accused from communicating directly or indirectly with any of them.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023.

The killing sparked a wave of protests, with some Sikh groups circulating posters that threatened Indian diplomats in Canada by name.

In September last year, the ties between India and Canada came under severe strain after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar's killing.

India dismissed Trudeau's charges as "absurd" and "motivated."