A recent shooting in Ontario has led to the arrest of one of India’s most wanted terrorists and alleged known associate of the former Sikh separatist activist Hardeep Nijjar Singh, who was murdered in British Columbia last summer.
Arshdeep Singh Gill was arrested for his alleged connection in a recent shooting and he is well known to both Indian authorities and street criminals alike, going by the alias “Arsh Dalla.”
Gill has resided in Canada for several years and the Indian government placed him on a public list of India’s terrorists in January 2023, where he’s been accused of ordering killings from Canada.
Gill has also publicly claimed responsibility for multiple killings, including the targeted murder of a local politician in Punjab.
He is “a very prominent player, as far as organized crime in the north state of Punjab,” prominent Indian independent journalist Ritesh Lakhi told CTV News.
Police in Halton, Ont. posted a press release last month alleging that two men involved in a shooting in Milton, Ont., had been “charged with discharging firearm with intent” after arriving at a hospital in Guelph, Ont.
“One of the males was treated and released for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound apparently suffered in Halton region. The other was not injured,” reads the release.
Gill is one of the two men facing charges and he remains in custody until a decision on his request for bail is processed.
According to Lakhi, Gill “would simply call me up. I did a few interviews with him, and he would tell me why he killed this person. We’ve been watching his activities for the last three and a half years.”
Lakhi went on to say, “There are certain gangsters who’ve been designated as terrorists, and Arsh Dalla happens to be one of them.”
News publication India Express ran a story in March claiming that the Indian government had previously shared Gill’s location with Canadian authorities and requested his arrest, however, it remains unclear if an extradition request was officially made.
Additionally, it remains unknown how the Canadian government responded to the request but former CSIS terrorism analyst Phil Gurksi argues that since Gill was only arrested after the shooting, it’s likely that the government did not act.
“If Canada doesn’t take action that India feels is necessary, there are people in India who would say, ‘We have no choice. Canada has ignored our requests. This is a dangerous individual. We have to take care of him ourselves,’” Gurski told CTV News.
News of Gill’s arrest and the previous request from the Indian government comes as the relationship between the two nations has been further strained in recent months.
Canada expelled six Indian diplomats from Canada last month after the RCMP accused the officials of being directly involved in homicides, extortions and other criminal acts of violence on Canadian soil.
The RCMP made the announcement after India refused to drop diplomatic immunity, which prevented the officials from being interviewed by Canadian police.
“As India did not agree, and given the ongoing public safety concerns for Canadians, Canada served notices of expulsions to six diplomats and consular officials early this morning,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly at the time.
Joly said that, in response, India announced that it would withdraw those diplomats from Canada.
“To be clear, we’re not seeking diplomatic confrontation with India, but we will not sit quietly as agents of any country are linked to efforts to threaten, harass or even kill Canadians,” Joly said.
The diplomatic fallout began after Nijjar, an outspoken Khalistani activist was murdered in Surrey, B.C. last June, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of having involvement in. The Indian government has denied the accusation.
Since his murder, four Indian nationals living in Canada have been charged for their alleged involvement.
Gill, 28, and his co-accused, Gurjant Singh, both remain in custody at Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ont. The two are awaiting their first court date.