According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau\’s statement on Friday, Canada has provided evidence suggesting that Indian government agents may have been involved in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia several weeks ago.
During a press conference in Ottawa, Trudeau remarked, \”Canada shared the credible allegations I mentioned on Monday with India. We did so several weeks ago. We are dedicated to collaborating with India and hope they will engage with us in a thorough investigation of this very serious matter.\”
Earlier in the week, Trudeau had disclosed that Ottawa possessed reliable intelligence linking Indian government agents to the June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, an incident that prompted a strong reaction from New Delhi. Nijjar, aged 45, held Canadian citizenship.
In a separate report, CBC News revealed that the Canadian government had gathered both human and signals intelligence during a months-long inquiry into the assassination of the Sikh separatist leader. This intelligence reportedly included communications involving Indian officials present in Canada, with some information provided by an undisclosed ally within the Five Eyes alliance.
The Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing network comprised of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
However, Trudeau has refrained from disclosing specific details regarding the information collected by Canada\’s intelligence agencies, and his office has neither confirmed nor denied the CBC report.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concern about the matter on Friday, stating, \”We are deeply troubled by the allegations raised by Prime Minister Trudeau.\” Blinken\’s comments were made during a press briefing, marking him as the highest-ranking U.S. official to comment on the issue thus far. The White House has also voiced similar concerns.