Canadian police have arrested three men on suspicion of killing a Sikh separatist leader last year, and say they are investigating the suspects' possible ties to the Indian government.
Religious leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in June last year outside a temple near Vancouver. He was a Canadian citizen and reportedly a supporter of the independence movement in northern India. The three suspects are Indian citizens.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last year said the Indian government was suspected of being involved in the fatal shooting.
Canada's federal police told reporters on Friday they had arrested three Indian nationals in their 20s for their alleged roles in the murder.
The police said the suspects stayed at a house in the city of Edmonton in Alberta, about 800 kilometers from where the Sikh leader was shot to death.
The killing sparked a diplomatic rift between Canada and India. Canadian authorities allege the Indian government may have been involved. India has denied the accusation.
Ottawa has expelled an Indian envoy who allegedly played a part in the murder. The row has led New Delhi to ask Ottawa to reduce its number of diplomats in India.