New Delhi: Ottawa has declined to provide the death certificate of Hardeep Singh Nijjar to National Investigation Agency (NIA). Nijjar, a pro-Khalistan operative and Canadian citizen was killed in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. The NIA had requested the document to fulfil legal obligations concerning several cases pending against Nijjar.
According to reports, Canadian authorities responded with counter-queries, questioning why India sought the death certificate of one of its citizens. After that, they refused to share his death certificate. Nijjar’s murder has sparked a diplomatic row between Canada and India, with the Canadian government alleging the involvement of Indian agencies—a claim that New Delhi has denied.
The worsening of ties between India-Canada
The situation escalated earlier this month after Canada named senior Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation into Nijjar’s murder. India withdrew its diplomats from Canada, while Ottawa claimed that it expelled the Indian diplomats. The NIA is also struggling to secure an Interpol red-corner notice for another pro-Khalistan figure, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US citizen accused of terrorism. The agency is currently investigating six cases against Pannun and has attached three of his properties in India.
Nijjar, who was shot outside a gurdwara in Surrey, was designated a terrorist by the NIA in 2020. The deteriorating ties between India and Canada began to surface after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in September 2023 that there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing. India has consistently dismissed these claims as “absurd” and “motivated,” accusing Canada of providing a haven for extremist elements.
Canada yet to act on India’s requests to extradite 26 individuals
While Trudeau later admitted that his government had not furnished India with hard evidence, he did claim to have intelligence regarding the incident. India has accused Canada of harbouring pro-Khalistan extremists, and the Ministry of External Affairs has stated that Canada has yet to act on India’s requests to extradite 26 individuals and arrest several others implicated in terrorism and serious crimes.
