Canada awaits results of probe on link between Indian agents and Nijjar killing

The Canadian government has said that it is still awaiting the results of the investigation being conducted by law enforcement agencies into the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the potential link to India remains an allegation based on intelligence.

This clarification came over a year since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s statement in the House of Commons on September 18 last year that there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and Nijjar’s murder. That statement caused bilateral ties to go into a tailspin.

Appearing before the foreign interference commission on Friday, Weldon Epp, assistant deputy minister for the Indo-Pacific at Global Affairs Canada (GAC), said that investigations by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were underway as was diplomacy. “Until those investigations are done, we have allegations based on intelligence,” he said.

“There’s been no verdict on the involvement of the Indian government so we’re waiting for the RCMP to complete their work,” he added.

In May this year, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT), which is probing the murder, announced the arrests of four Indian nationals. They are facing charges related to first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and their trial is expected to resume in mid-November. A person familiar with the investigation said they were hopeful their interrogation will provide evidence of the alleged Indian involvement, along with other documents culled from domestic agencies and a Five Eyes partner, which is likely to be the United States.

Last week, a senior RCMP official said that Canadian law enforcement is undertaking “separate” investigations into alleged foreign interference by India that are “distinct” from the probe related to the Nijjar’s killing.

This was stated by the RCMP’s Deputy Commissioner Mark Flynn while appearing before the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions on Thursday. “We have ongoing separate and distinct investigations,” he said, which includes “investigating the Government of India.”