Man accused in death of Sikh activist appeared in court just 2 days before the killing

Amandeep Singh, the fourth man charged in connection with the killing of prominent Sikh-Canadian activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was already caught up in the Canadian justice system at the time of Nijjar's death, CBC News has learned.

The Indian national, who entered Canada on a temporary visa, appeared in a Surrey, B.C. courtroom to answer charges on an unrelated matter just two days before, according to police, he lay in wait for Nijjar at the entrance to the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. Nijjar was shot multiple times and died at the scene.

Amandeep Singh had been arrested in Surrey, B.C. on a warrant after fleeing from police in March 2023. He was charged with flight from police and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and made a first court appearance on June 16, 2023. Nijjar was killed on June 18.

Court documents show that his case came up before the court again 19 days after the killing, on July 7, and was proceeding through the system toward a trial, scheduled for later this year, when he was arrested on separate firearms and drug charges in Brampton, Ont. last November.

B.C. court documents from last June also show that Singh signed an undertaking agreeing to not possess firearms or ammunition, and to not be in the driver's seat of any motor vehicle.

Amandeep Singh was not among the first group of three men arrested by the RCMP in connection with Nijjar's killing on May 3 in raids in the Edmonton area. At the time, he was already in custody in Ontario for the November charges.

British Columbia's Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) charged him in the Nijjar case on May 11. IHIT said it had «pursued the evidence and gained sufficient information for the B.C. Prosecution Service to charge Amandeep Singh with