New Delhi | Khalistani extremist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, who has been designated a terrorist by India, is likely to have been arrested in Canada's Ontario province in connection with a shooting incident, sources claimed here on Sunday.
The incident is suspected to have occurred on October 28 in Milton.
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) had in a statement on October 29 said that it had arrested two men on charges of "discharging firearm with intent" following an investigation after the duo had come to a hospital and one of them was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot and later discharged.
It did not disclose their identity and said both accused "were held in custody pending a bail hearing".
The sources claimed that one of those arrested is believed to be Arsh Dalla, who is associated with the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and ran terror modules on behalf of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist who was killed in June last year.
Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs had named Arsh Dalla as among the Khalistani terrorists for whom extradition requests have been made to Canada.
The Halton police statement said they were actively investigating the "shooting that took place in Milton".
"The HRPS was contacted by Guelph Police in the early morning hours of October 28, 2024, after two males attended a hospital in Guelph. One of the males was treated and released for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound apparently suffered in the Halton region. The other was not injured.
"The HRPS Major Crime Bureau is now investigating and both males have been arrested. A 25-year-old male of Halton Hills and a 28-year-old male of Surrey BC have both been charged with Discharging Firearm with Intent," the statement said.
Earlier on Sunday, Punjab Police announced the arrest of two shooters of Arsh Dalla's gang, who were allegedly involved in the murder of a Sikh activist last month, from Kharar in Mohali.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the arrest came in a joint operation of the state special operation cell, the Anti-gangster Task Force and Faridkot Police.
The two were identified as Anmolpreet Singh alias Vishal, a resident of Bhadorh in Barnala and Navjot Singh alias Neetu, a resident of Nijjar Road in Kharar.
The state police said preliminary investigations revealed that Arsh Dalla tasked Navjot to target Gurpreet Singh Hari Nau, who runs a YouTube channel under the name of "Hari Nau Talks".
Arsh Dalla, who has been accused of involvement in targeted killings, terror financing and extortion in Punjab, was in January last year designated a terrorist by the Indian government.
He is an accused in various cases under the National Investigation Agency.
India-Canada ties remain deeply troubled over Canada's alleged support to Khalistani separatists and its accusation of India’s involvement in the killing of Nijjar.
New Delhi has trashed the allegation and accuses Ottawa of doing next to nothing to stop the activities of Khalistani supporters who seek to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.
Gwalior | Two shooters of Canada-based Khalistani extremist Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, were arrested in Punjab on Sunday for allegedly killing a murder convict out on parole in Gwalior this week, police said.
Satpal, brother of Sukhvinder whom the convict Jaswant Singh Gill had killed eight years ago, contacted Punjab’s Navjot Singh, alias Neetu, and Anmolpreet Singh, alias Vishal, for the murder in Madhya Pradesh, said Gwalior Superintendent of Police Dharamveer Singh.
“Our investigations are connecting Satpal to the shooters. His wife’s family lives in Punjab, he said.
Asked whether Satpal is in Canada, the official said he has migrated to the North American nation but visits India at times. Whether he is in India or not, the investigation will ascertain, the SP said.
Citing the ongoing probe, MP police said they won’t be able to comment at this stage if Dalla played a role in the contract killing in Gwalior.
Gill’s killers were also wanted in connection with another murder in Punjab and will be brought to Gwalior after legal formalities, the SP said. According to Punjab police, the two are from Arsh Dalla's gang.
Dalla, who has been accused of involvement in targeted killings, terror financing and extortion in Punjab, was in January last year designated a terrorist by the Indian government. The Khalistani extremist is likely to have been arrested in Canada in connection with a shooting, sources claimed here on Sunday.
The Gwalior SP said their Punjab counterparts cooperated to round up the accused, both in their 30s.
The duo had stayed in a hotel in Madhya Pradesh, he said.
They arrived on a motorcycle and shot Gill outside his house in the Dabra area, around 40 km from the district headquarters, on Thursday night.
The two pumped three bullets from a close range, and Gill slumped on the spot, he said.
The official said Gill was sentenced to life imprisonment in a 2016 murder case and had been out on parole since October 28.
Gill’s family too suspect that his murder was a fallout of an old enmity.
The convict had killed his wife's cousin Sukhvinder eight years ago in Gwalior.
The family of the Sukhvinder have shifted to Canada.
New Delhi | Security was beefed up outside the Canada High Commission in Chanakyapuri area after Hindu-Sikh group held a protest there denouncing the attack on a Hindu Temple in Canada.
Many Sikh protesters climbed the barricades and raised slogans against the violence inside a temple in Canada's Brampton.
The protest was held under the banner of Hindu Sikh Global Forum, which claimed more than 1,200 Sikhs, 300 of them women, participated in the demonstration.
Delhi Police was seen pleading the protestors to stay behind the barricades.
"We have deployed additional force and barricadings have been done outside of the High Commission of Canada following a protest march call. Our teams are not allowing anyone to breach the law and order," a senior police officer said.
The Forum said it submitted a memorandum to the Canadian Embassy demanding immediate investigation and action against the culprits.
"The Sikh community has always been contributing to the construction of the temple and the kind of allegations being levelled against the community are being made to divide Hindus and Sikhs, which the community will never tolerate," it said in a statement.
Protestors carrying Khalistani flags clashed with people at a Hindu temple in Brampton on November 3, triggering condemnation by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Indian government.