Toronto: Canadian law enforcement is taking into consideration the possibility that pro-Khalistan extremism may be a potential factor behind the murder of Indo-Canadian influencer Nancy Grewal over three weeks back.
A report in the local outlet Windsor Star stated, “Investigators have confirmed for the first time that — among other possible motives — they are probing potential links between the slaying of Windsor’s Nancy Grewal and the contentious Indian Sikh separatist movement she criticised.”
It cited a spokesperson for the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) as saying that investigators were “looking at all potential links” and exploring all avenues.
Grewal was resident of the Windsor suburb of LaSalle at the time of her murder. She was an outspoken critic of the Khalistan movement.
OPP is conducting the investigation along with the LaSalle Police Service.
They had earlier released CCTV footage from an episode of arson at her residence on November 8 last year. It showed an unidentified person dousing her front porch in a flammable liquid before setting it on fire.
“As the arson and homicide involve the same victim, LPS, under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, has taken carriage of the arson investigation to determine any potential links between the two incidents,” police said in a release on Monday.
However, they added it was unknown whether the individual in the surveillance video was connected to the murder.
Grewal was found stabbed at a residence in the town of LaSalle in Ontario shortly before 9.30pm on March 3.
In a statement issued identifying her as the victim, LaSalle Police Chief Michael Pearce said, “Investigators are confident this was not a random act of violence. Ms Grewal’s murder is being investigated as an intentional act against her. All information is being considered.”
Grewal moved to LaSalle from Calgary after her divorce.
Grewal was discovered with critical injuries and transported by Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services to a local hospital, where she later passed away.
In one of her recent videos, Grewal, speaking in English, took a strident stand against pro-Khalistan elements and accused politicians of ignoring the problem for the sake of votes.
“Now is the time to take a stand against these Khalistani criminal people,” she said.
At the outset of that reel, she said, “I’m a Canadian citizen but I don’t feel safe in this country right now.”
Grewal was interviewed by the outlet CBC News in late February and she said she had received 40 death threats. However, the interview was not aired for nine days and only after she was killed.
Speaking to the Hindustan Times in Jalandhar earlier this month, Grewal’s mother, Shinderpal Kaur, 70, said her daughter had received frequent death threats from hardliners over her digital content.
“Local radicals objected to her content and developed an enmity with Nancy,” she said, adding: “Two months ago, unidentified miscreants set her house ablaze. She survived and reported it to the police. She even received a death threat letter recently; we have provided the names of three suspects to the authorities.”