Canada names Indian envoy as ‘person of interest’ in Nijjar murder case probe
Ottawa: The Canadian government has designated Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and several other diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation into the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh leader and Canadian citizen.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was an outspoken proponent of Khalistan, was shot and killed on June 18, 2023, outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Newton, Surrey, British Columbia.
His body was found inside his vehicle parked in the 7000-block of Scott Road. In the aftermath of the incident, Canadian law enforcement arrested four individuals of Punjabi-Indian descent, charging them with Nijjar’s murder.
Relations between New Delhi and Ottawa have been frosty since September 2023, when Trudeau said that Canada had credible evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader that year, prompting a strong reaction from New Delhi, which denied the allegation.
Meanwhile. India announced its decision to withdraw its ambassador and other diplomats from Canada over the investigation into the murder of a Sikh activist.
