In response to Canada\’s \”credible allegations\” regarding the possible involvement of \”Delhi agents\” in the assassination of Khalistani militant Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, India has countered by revealing that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau\’s government failed to take action despite being presented with evidence of Nijjar\’s criminal activities.
According to a senior official from the Home Ministry who spoke with NDTV on Friday, India had shared this information with Canada \”numerous times,\” yet the Canadian government neither acknowledged nor acted upon the evidence.
India had been pursuing Nijjar for a decade and had secured a Red Corner Notice from Interpol. Despite Nijjar facing more than a dozen charges of murder and terrorism in India, Canadian authorities only added him to a no-fly list and did not take further steps.
Additionally, Canada did not respond to Interpol\’s notice regarding Nijjar, as indicated by the official.
NDTV had access to the dossier on Nijjar that was shared with Canada. The dossier reveals that Nijjar entered Canada in 1997 using a fake passport under the name Ravi Sharma. He applied for asylum, citing persecution in India due to his association with a specific social group associated with Sikh militancy. However, his asylum application was rejected based on what was deemed a fabricated narrative. Shortly thereafter, he entered into a \’marriage\’ arrangement with a woman who sponsored his immigration, but this too was rejected, as she had recently arrived in Canada and was sponsored by her \’husband.\’
The ministry official explained that Nijjar then appealed to Canadian courts, claiming to be a Canadian citizen. He was eventually granted citizenship under circumstances that remain unclear.
Intelligence agencies believe that Nijjar obtained Canadian citizenship and ventured into gurudwara politics, reportedly assuming the presidency of a gurudwara in British Columbia\’s Surrey province in 2021 as a means to shield himself from Interpol and avoid extradition. Allegedly, he secured this presidency by threatening his cousin, Raghbir Singh Nijjar.
Following the deportation of another militant, Jagtar Singh Tara, to India in 2015, Nijjar reportedly took on the role of Operations Chief at the banned Khalistan Tiger Force, according to an official who spoke to NDTV.
The National Investigation Agency registered multiple cases against Nijjar, including an Interpol notice related to the establishment of terrorist networks in Canada involving Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal. Nijjar also had affiliations with Sikhs For Justice, another banned terrorist organization.
An official disclosed to NDTV that Nijjar had organized several violent anti-India protests in Canada and openly threatened Indian diplomats. He even demanded that Indian embassy officials in Canada be prohibited from participating in events organized by gurudwaras across the country.