Washington, March 14 (IANS) The brutal killing of Nancy Grewal, a Canadian citizen and well-known critic of Khalistani extremism, has sparked anguished calls for the stronger protection of women across Canada and raised concerns over the threat to free speech amid silencing of critics by Khalistani terrorists. The incident also highlighted the sway such extremist networks are believed to hold over the Canadian and North American ecosystem, a report said on Saturday.

Writing for Washington–based Global Strat View, Sanjay Lazar, a lawyer and author, said that several political and social commentators have called for a ban on Khalistani organisations, stricter action against violent actors and terror incidents operating from the religious places of worship. They argue that measures are necessary to break the stranglehold that terror groups and criminals hold over the Gurdwara network across Canada, which also serves as a “conduit for the Khalistani illegal arms, drugs and human trafficking rings”.

Referring to the murder of Nancy on the evening of March 3 in Canada, Lazar said, “She had apparently taken on some big people, both in the Windsor Gurdwara and across Canada, and also pointed fingers at a few people out of Punjab who were allegedly helping the Khalistani forces. Her truth bore no discrimination or brooked any boundaries, whether they were political people from Punjab or Canada, as long as they supported Khalistan and the idea of criminal activities, she was dead against them.”

“She had been warned by many at her local gurdwara on County Road 42 in Windsor to shut her mouth. Nancy, a Canadian Sikh herself, had been against the criminalisation of the gurdwara (a religious place of worship) into becoming a Khalistani terror outpost. The lax Canadian laws did not prohibit this unlike the stronger American anti-terror laws that were put in place post 9-11," he added.

According to the report, despite receiving nearly 40 death threats — including an actual arson attack on her home in November last year — Nancy was not provided protection by the Windsor Police nor the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). While law enforcement agencies apparently conduct no monitoring, her killers, allegedly Khalistanis, were tracking her movement.

“The silence is deafening, despite the arson attack having taken place in early November 2025; neither the Windsor Police nor the RCMP made any serious headway into the case. This, despite having video footage and a street cam not too far from Nancy’s house. Were the Police waiting for more attacks to take place?” the report questioned.

The report noted that Nancy's mother, Shinder Pal Grewal, alleged those behind the earlier arson attack on her daughter’s house could be responsible for the killing. Shinder said the previous attack was reported to the police and claimed that her daughter regularly informed authorities whenever she received threatening messages or notes, but no effective action followed.

--IANS

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