What we know about the arrests and the investigation into Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing

Three men were arrested and charged Friday in connection with the killing of a Sikh separatist activist in B.C., a crime that fractured the diplomatic relationship between India and Canada when accusations arose that one country had orchestrated the high-profile murder of the other's citizen on home soil.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead in what appeared to be a highly coordinated attack as he left the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, B.C., on June 18, 2023.

A Canadian citizen, Nijjar was a prominent local leader in the Khalistan movement pushing for the creation of an independent Sikh state in India.

RCMP said the men all arrived in the country separately between three and five years ago, but would not comment further on the suspects' immigration statuses during a news conference on Friday.

RCMP were also asked whether there are any Indian "sleeper agents" in Canada, a term that refers to an operative strategically placed in another country to work as needed after potentially being inactive, or "asleep," for months or years.

Police are still investigating whether the three men arrested Friday are connected to the Indian government, according to Teboul, who said collaboration with "partner agencies" in India had been "rather challenging and difficult."