A close associate of the B.C. Sikh leader, who was brutally murdered outside a Surrey gurdwara earlier this summer, claims that he too has been threatened with harm. Gurmeet Singh Toor, a member of the executive committee at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, where Hardeep Singh Nijjar served as president before his untimely death, revealed that on the night of August 24, the police and the RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team visited his residence late at night to inform him of a potential threat to his life. Speaking through an interpreter, Toor explained that he and his family were made aware of the threat and were urged to take precautions. However, when he asked about the reason behind the threat and who was responsible, the police and INSET were unable to provide any information.

Like Nijjar, Toor is a vocal proponent of Khalistan, an independent Sikh state in the Indian subcontinent, and had been actively involved in a referendum promoting the idea. Toor informed Global News that he is one of three individuals within the Sikh community who have received warnings from the RCMP. The notice delivered to Toor stated, “the police have determined by way of one or more investigative avenues that your life may be in peril.” Toor, after signing the notice, was allowed to take a photograph of the document for his personal records. In response to the threat, the police stationed a vehicle outside Toor’s house for one or two weeks, and he reported suspicious activities during that period. When the police were notified, they patrolled the area to ensure his safety.

Although the RCMP did not respond to requests to verify the authenticity of the notice presented in Toor’s photograph, Global News has confirmed that the document bears resemblance to the forms typically used by the BC RCMP. Speaking through the interpreter, Toor expressed his belief that the police will be able to protect him and he remains hopeful for his safety. In the ongoing investigation into Nijjar’s murder, which has ignited diplomatic tensions between Canada and India, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed Parliament and stated that there were “credible allegations” of a “potential link” between “agents of the government of India” and Nijjar’s death. India, however, who accuses Nijjar of being a member of a terrorist organization, has vehemently denied any involvement in the killing. In light of Nijjar’s supporters holding demonstrations outside Indian consulates across the country, both Canada and India have taken the step of expelling diplomats over the allegations.

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