Goldy Brar claims responsibility for Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing
Leaked audio clip emerges after Canadian PM's allegations of Indian government involvement.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

India At 2047
Photograph: ABP News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Gangster Goldy Brar has allegedly claimed responsibility for the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a leaked audio clip.
- Brar reportedly stated Nijjar was targeted for his alleged role in encouraging drug abuse among young people.
- Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead outside a Sikh cultural centre in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.
- The killing of Nijjar led to a diplomatic row between India and Canada, with Canadian officials alleging potential Indian government involvement.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 13 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 12 of the 25 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
50/100
Craft
60/100
Hype
45/100
25 sources · methodology
Missing from the left
Only 3 of the 13 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
A reader who follows the left would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.
An audio clip has surfaced in which gangster Goldy Brar allegedly claims responsibility for the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Brar reportedly stated that Nijjar was targeted because he allegedly encouraged drug abuse among young people. Nijjar, who founded the Khalistan Tiger Force, was shot dead outside a Sikh cultural centre in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. His killing led to a diplomatic dispute between India and Canada, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging a potential link between the Indian government and the murder. India has consistently denied any involvement.
Disputed claims about Nijjar's activities
Multiple reports state that multiple outlets could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio clip. Brar allegedly made the remarks while speaking with Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Pamma. According to Hindustan Times, Brar claimed Nijjar supported and strengthened individuals who blackmailed young people into selling drugs. India Today reported that Brar alleged Nijjar was involved in weapon and drug smuggling and exploited minors. Dainik Bhaskar reported Brar stating that people who killed his brothers lived in Nijjar's mansion.
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mention the statement by Lisa Moreland, deputy commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, that Canadian investigators found no evidence connecting Indian officials to the murder. The left-rated digest does not mention this statement either.
Coverage settled. We checked this 12 times and stopped on 28 Aug 2026, 10:45. The figures above are what it finished at.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
3 rated outlets
- The Week's digest led on Goldy Brar admitting his role in the Nijjar murder. The digest stated that Nijjar's killing had triggered a major diplomatic standoff between India and Canada.
Centre
1 rated outlet
- Hindustan Times' full report led with the claim that gangster Goldy Brar admitted to killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar in a leaked audio clip. The report detailed Brar's alleged statements that Nijjar was targeted for encouraging drug abuse among young people. It also noted that the killing led to a diplomatic row between India and Canada, and that Canadian investigators probing the killing had found no evidence connecting Indian government officials to the murder. Hindustan Times stated it could not independently verify the audio clip's authenticity.
Right
9 rated outlets
- The right-rated digests led on Goldy Brar's alleged admission of responsibility for Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing. India Today's digest stated the audio contradicted Canada's assertions of Indian government involvement and supported India's stance that the death was tied to gang rivalries. Moneycontrol's digest highlighted Brar's alleged confirmation: 'That's why...had to kill him'. India TV News' digest focused on Brar's claim that Nijjar 'groomed youth to sell drugs'. ABP News' digest quoted Brar saying, 'We Had To Kill Nijjar'.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Goldy Brar claims responsibility for Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing?
- Of the 13 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 23% are rated left, 8% are rated centre, 69% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 25. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Goldy Brar claims responsibility for Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 13 rated outlets on this story, 23% are rated left, 8% are rated centre, 69% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Goldy Brar claims responsibility for Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing biased?
- Goldy Brar claims responsibility for Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing is one event reported by 25 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Goldy Brar claims responsibility for Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Goldy Brar claims responsibility for Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing?
- 25 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What is the main claim in the leaked audio clip?
- The main claim in the leaked audio clip is that gangster Goldy Brar allegedly admits to killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Brar reportedly stated that Nijjar was targeted for his alleged role in encouraging drug abuse among young people.
- When and where was Hardeep Singh Nijjar killed?
- Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead outside a Sikh cultural centre in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. His killing has been a significant factor in a diplomatic dispute between India and Canada.
- What is the status of the audio clip's authenticity?
- Multiple outlets have stated that they could not independently verify the authenticity of the leaked audio clip. The reports indicate that Brar allegedly made the claims while speaking with Khalistani terrorist Paramjit Singh Pamma.
Read it at the source
25 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
3- Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder: Fugitive gangster Goldy Brar claims he killed Khalistan separatist (opens Scroll India in a new tab)
Scroll India — is Scroll India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 3 years after Nijjar killing, fugitive terrorist Goldy Brar claims he did it (opens Indian Express in a new tab)
Indian Express — is Indian Express biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘We Had To Kill Hardeep Singh Nijjar’: Goldy Brar Allegedly Claims Responsibility In Leaked Audio (opens One India in a new tab)
Centre
1Right
9- “A result of a gang war”: Former Envoy to Canada Sanjay Verma on Goldy Brar’s purported claim of hand in Nijjar killing (opens organiser.org in a new tab)
organiser.org — is organiser.org biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Gangster Goldy Brar Claims Hand in Nijjar Killing in Purported Leaked Audio (opens Latestly in a new tab)
- Gangster Goldy Brar claims hand in Nijjar killing in purported leaked audio - The Tribune (opens Tribune India in a new tab)
Tribune India — is Tribune India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'Killed Nijjar for drug trafficking': Goldy Brar in leaked audio (opens Times of India in a new tab)
Times of India — is Times of India biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'That's why...had to kill him': Goldy Brar allegedly confirms killing of Hardeep Nijjar in reported leaked audio (opens Moneycontrol in a new tab)
Moneycontrol — is Moneycontrol biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'Groomed youth to sell drugs': In viral audio, Goldy Brar admits to Hardeep Nijjar's killing in Canada (opens India TV News in a new tab)
India TV News — is India TV News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Leaked Audio On Nijjar Killing Surfaces, Gang War Admitted, Canada Accusations Exposed (opens India Today in a new tab)
India Today — is India Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘We Had To Kill Nijjar': Goldy Brar's Alleged Admission In Leaked Audio (opens ABP News in a new tab)
Not rated
12- 'Had to kill...who blackmailed youth into drugs': 3 years after Khalistani extremist Nijjar's killing, Goldy Brar 'claims' responsibility - Connected to India News I Singapore l UAE l UK l USA l NRI (opens connectedtoindia.com in a new tab)
connectedtoindia.com — is connectedtoindia.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Goldy Brar claims role in Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing in purported leaked audio (opens Yes Punjab in a new tab)
Yes Punjab — is Yes Punjab biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Sanjay Verma calls Goldy Brar's Nijjar claim 'Gang War Result' (opens awazthevoice.in in a new tab)
awazthevoice.in — is awazthevoice.in biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Gangster Goldy Brar claims hand in Nijjar killing in purported leaked audio (opens torontotelegraph.com in a new tab)
torontotelegraph.com — is torontotelegraph.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Gangster Goldy Brar claims responsibility for Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing in purported audio leak (opens Mathrubhumi in a new tab)
Mathrubhumi — is Mathrubhumi biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Hardeep Nijjar | This Is Why We Killed Khalistani Terrorist Nijjar: Gangster Goldie Brar (opens namasthe telangana in a new tab)
namasthe telangana — is namasthe telangana biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Goldy Brar Claims to Have Arranged the Murder of Hardeep Nijjar - India TV Hindi (opens India TV Hindi Hindi in a new tab)
India TV Hindi Hindi — is India TV Hindi Hindi biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Gangster Goldy Brar's Big Revelation: I Was Behind the Murder of Hardeep Nijjar (opens The CSR Journal in a new tab)
The CSR Journal — is The CSR Journal biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 4 more
- Why Did Goldy Brar Kill Hardeep Nijjar?: Fugitive Gangster Confesses in Leaked Audio, Reveals Real Reason (opens Amar Ujala in a new tab)
Amar Ujala — is Amar Ujala biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘I had to kill him’: Goldy Brar admits role in Nijjar murder in leaked audio (opens The Week in a new tab)
- Gangster Goldie Brar Says He Killed Khalistani Terrorist Hardeep Nijjar (opens TV9 Kannada in a new tab)
TV9 Kannada — is TV9 Kannada biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Gangster Goldy Brar Said, "I Had Hardeep Nijjar Killed. The People Who Killed My Brothers Lived in His Mansion; Indian Agencies Were Previously accused." (opens Dainik Bhaskar in a new tab)
Dainik Bhaskar — is Dainik Bhaskar biased? Our profile of this outlet
How did this read?
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