Police investigate arson attack on car outside home of Sikh independence activist

SURREY — Police in B.C. are investigating an apparent arson attack outside the home of a Sikh independence activist who was previously warned by officers that his life was under threat.

Surrey police say officers found a car engulfed in flames and a bus vandalized after the attack in the Surrey Central neighbourhood, where officers were called to the scene at 11:45 p.m. Wednesday.

Investigators say they believe a suspect fled on foot and no motive has been determined.

The Sikhs For Justice group says in a separate news release that the attack occurred at the home of Narinder Singh Randhawa, who was given a “duty to warn” notice by Surrey police in April and told there was an imminent threat to his life.

Randhawa has organized rallies for the Khalistan movement that seeks the formation of an independent Sikh state in the Punjab region within India.

A former leader of the group, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot dead in Surrey in 2023, in an attack former prime minister Justin Trudeau said was linked to India by credible intelligence.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, who visited India earlier this year, has refused to say if he believes the Indian government is involved in acts of foreign interference and transnational repression in Canada.

Randhawa previously told The Canadian Press that police said his activism and participation in protests may be behind threats against his life.

The Sikhs For Justice statement says protesters had rallied in Vancouver on the day of the arson attack.

The group urged police to investigate the attack as an act of terrorism.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press