In a developing story in Canada about the investigation into the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India’s high commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, has claimed that public comments by a senior Canadian official have compromised the integrity of the investigation.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and prominent Sikh separatist, was tragically killed in June in a suburb of Vancouver. The Canadian government has since suggested India’s possible involvement in the killing, a claim India vehemently denies, referring to Nijjar as a “terrorist”. Verma, in an interview, expressed concern that the investigation has been tainted by these allegations, saying it appears that a directive came from a senior official implicating India or Indian agents in the crime.
While the official in question remains unnamed, it’s worth noting that in September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly acknowledged that Canadian security agencies were investigating credible allegations of a possible link between Indian government agents and the death from Nijjar.
This case has caused a diplomatic firestorm between the two nations. In response to Canada’s allegations, India asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence, leading to the withdrawal of 41 Canadian diplomats from India.
Verma has criticized the lack of concrete evidence provided by Canada or its allies to substantiate claims of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s death. Despite the diplomatic fallout, Verma stressed that India is keen to expand trade ties and resume negotiations on a trade deal.
This comes after Canada paused talks on a proposed trade treaty with India in September, just three months after both nations expressed their intention to finalize an initial deal within the year.
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