No Evidence Linking Indian Government to Nijjar Killing, Says Canadian Police

In a significant development that could further ease tensions between India and Canada, a senior official of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has said investigators have found no evidence linking Indian government officials to the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.

The remarks by Lisa Moreland, Deputy Commissioner of the RCMP , came during an interview with CBC News, hours after US authorities announced charges against jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his associate Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar for allegedly directing Nijjar's assassination.

Responding to a question on former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's earlier allegations against India, Moreland said, "There's no evidence to suggest through this organised crime investigation and the charges and the indictment laid forward that Indian officials were charged or involved." She also stated that the Government of India cooperated with the investigation .

Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. Months later, Trudeau publicly alleged a possible link between Indian agents and the killing, triggering one of the deepest diplomatic crises in recent India-Canada history. New Delhi rejected the accusation as "absurd" and accused Ottawa of allowing pro-Khalistani elements to operate from Canadian soil.

The fallout led to the recall of India's High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and five other diplomats in 2024, followed by the expulsion of an equal number of Canadian diplomats. Relations began improving after Mark Carney became Canada's prime minister, with both countries restoring high commissioners and agreeing to revive several bilateral mechanisms.

Meanwhile, the US Justice Department said a multinational operation involving agencies from the United States, Canada and Europe resulted in arrests linked to three India-based organised crime groups. Authorities alleged that Bishnoi and Goldy Brar directed Nijjar's killing as part of a broader network involved in extortion, drug trafficking, kidnappings and targeted violence.

Former High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma welcomed the RCMP's statement, saying India had sought evidence from the very beginning and expressed hope that ties between the two countries would continue to improve.