A vehicle carrying Satinder Pal Singh Raju, an associate of the slain pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was targeted in a gun attack on a highway in California earlier this month. The incident, which occurred on August 11, involved multiple shots being fired at the pick-up truck Raju was traveling in while it was on a stretch of road in Woodland, Yolo County.
Raju, who is a prominent figure in the Khalistan movement and one of the main organizers of the recent so-called Khalistan Referendum in Calgary, Canada, survived the ambush. The general counsel of the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Pannun, described Raju as a “close associate” of Nijjar and an “active organizer” of the Khalistan Referendum. Pannun accused the Indian government of targeting Raju and engaging in “transnational repression to violently suppress the global Khalistan Referendum campaign.”
According to a report from the California Highway Patrol, as seen by the Hindustan Times, there were reports of “4-5 shots” fired at the vehicle during the incident. However, no arrests have been made, and authorities have not yet attributed a motive for the attack.
In a related incident, just a day before the California attack, the residence of Raghbir Nijjar, the former president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Surrey, British Columbia, was also fired upon. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Surrey reported that the shooting occurred on August 10 at around 3:10 am. The authorities also discovered evidence of an attempted arson at the scene.
The RCMP noted that this incident may be linked to an “extortion series” that has involved numerous shootings targeting Indo-Canadian businesses and individuals over the past year. Raghbir Nijjar, who is believed to be related to Hardeep Singh Nijjar and hails from the same village, is reportedly attempting to become the president of the gurdwara once again.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed on June 18 last year in Surrey, an event that has since strained relations between India and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later claimed in the House of Commons that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and Nijjar’s murder. The Indian government has dismissed these allegations as “absurd” and “motivated.”
So far, four Indian nationals have been arrested by Canadian investigators in connection with Nijjar’s murder, but no concrete evidence has been provided linking the Indian government to the killing. The investigation into this angle, however, continues.
Raju, who had remained in Surrey following Nijjar’s death and was involved in organizing the referendum there and in Calgary, now faces increased risks amid ongoing tensions related to the Khalistan movement and its global implications.
Sources By Agencies
