Influencer Nancy Grewal’s murder: Windsor gurdwara committee chief Manjinder Singh Kooner says he was preparing to sue her

JALANDHAR: Canada's LaSalle Police have said the murder of social media influencer Nancy Grewal was not a random act of violence, but a targeted crime.

The statement came even as Windsor gurdwara committee president Manjinder Singh Kooner said they had announced they would sue Nancy for her "defamatory" remarks. Separatist group Sikhs For Justice, declared unlawful by the govt of India, too, rubbished allegations of murder against it, saying that there was a "disinformation narrative aimed at criminalising the ongoing peaceful political movement of the Khalistan Referendum".




LaSalle Police, in view of media enquiries about narratives on social media and possible motives of the recent homicide, posted chief Pearce's statement: "Investigators are confident this was not a random act of violence. Grewal's murder is being investigated as an intentional act against her. All information is being considered. While we recognise the significant public interest in this case, we will not share information that will compromise the investigation, including leads, tips, and investigative avenues."

Nancy's mother had on Thursday alleged that the main conspirator, an old man, was involved in a local gurdwara of Windsor, Ontario.

However, Kooner told a Punjabi YouTube channel that the person her mother named was talking about had been a regular at the gurdwara, but was not involved in its committee.

Kooner said he and his brother, Dr Sukhdev Singh Kooner, helped Nancy around seven years agvo when she got a job letter to work as a personal support worker (PSW). "She approached my brother for help after she got a job letter and needed a car, which was a must to start working. My brother asked me to give her a second-hand car. Both of us spent on the car, as that would have helped her to settle in her career. For us, it was a satisfaction that she could stand on her feet," he said.

Nancy's mother Shinderpal Kaur could not recall Dr Kooner's name name on Thursday, but had praised him. Kooner said Nancy later started speaking ill about the families of old Sikhs settled there. "My brother and I tried to counsel her, but she did not pay heed to our advice, and then I ended my communication with her," he said.

"In 2023 she applied for membership of the gurdwara committee, and the then committee office-bearers put it on hold. In 2024, our team took charge of the committee, but by then she had spoken so much, which included blasphemous remarks and objectionable remarks about the Sikh martyrs and personalities, we refused to give her membership. Then she started targeting committee members and their families more badly. It was amid such a situation around three months ago that I publicly announced I would sue her for defamation. We were preparing the petition and the case was filed shortly," he said.

Meanwhile, SFJ general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on Friday issued a statement: "The Khalistan movement answers dissenting political opinion through votes — not violence. Critics of Khalistan are not targeted; ... Khalistan is a political opinion. Critics of Khalistan face a referendum — not death".