Goldy Brar allegedly claims Nijjar killing was part of revenge, rivalry

Canada-based Indian gangster, Satinderjeet Singh, known as Goldy Brar, has allegedly admitted to the killing of Canadian Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023.

The killing outside a Surrey gurdwara caused a major diplomatic crisis between India and Canada. Brar allegedly made the claim to a Khalistani figure in the UK, an audio recording of which is doing the rounds online. “Those who would prepare 16-17-year-old children to sell drugs and encourage them to do so… those who would blackmail children into selling drugs and acting as informers. Nijjar supported such people and made them stronger so that he could use them when required,” Brar is heard in the audio. “Because of this, we had to kill him.

Everyone has to bear the consequences of what they have done,” he adds. Brar is wanted in India for several high-profile murders, including the 2022 killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. He also faces US charges, along with Lawrence Bishnoi, for racketeering, extortion, drug trafficking, and ordering Nijjar’s killing.

Brar says the killing was both revenge and a way to remove a rival who mixed separatism with drugs. Some reports mention personal reasons. Brar believes people connected to Nijjar were involved in the murder of his brother, Gurlal, and that some of them lived in properties linked to Nijjar. India has called Nijjar a terrorist and linked him to the Khalistan Tiger Force. He was shot and murdered in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara on June 18-19, 2023.

Reacting to the murder, the then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents, leading to expulsions, suspended trade talks, and strong statements from both countries. New Delhi called the accusations absurd and said the death was due to ongoing gang rivalries among the diaspora, challenging earlier claims.

Brar has been involved in gangs in both Punjab and North America. US indictments released earlier this year named him and Bishnoi as those who ordered the Surrey killing as part of a larger organised crime network across Canada, the United States, and other countries.

Neither the Canadian nor Indian Government has released a statement yet. Alleged confession supports what investigations have been finding: Nijjar’s murder was not just a political act, but part of a gang war.