India rejects allegations linking diplomats to Hardeep Nijjar killing
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New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday rejected reports alleging the involvement of Indian officials in the 2023 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
P. Kumaran, the ministry’s secretary (East), described the allegations as “baseless, politically motivated and unsupported by credible evidence,” despite repeated requests for proof. Speaking at a press briefing, he said, “India believes that concerns of this nature must be addressed through credible law enforcement and judicial processes, not through public or politicised narratives.”
The remarks came in response to reports suggesting that Indian diplomatic staff in Canada may have been involved in Nijjar’s killing. A Monday report by Toronto-based The Globe and Mail, citing unnamed officials, claimed Canadian security agencies had evidence that Indian consular staff in Vancouver provided information allegedly assisting the 2023 killing. The report also referenced The National Post, which on Sunday quoted Ottawa’s domestic intelligence agency stating that India remains a key actor in foreign interference and espionage against Canada.
These reports coincided with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first official visit to India, amid a recent thaw in bilateral ties. On Monday, Carney held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Kumaran emphasised that the criminal investigation into Nijjar’s killing is ongoing under Canadian legal procedures. “It will move to the full jury trial stage,” he said, adding, “India has consistently maintained its commitment to the judicial process.” He also noted that sensitive matters under judicial consideration are “best allowed to proceed through established legal processes without public commentary.”
Nijjar, an advocate for Khalistan—an independent Sikh nation sought by some groups—was the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force, a group designated as a terrorist outfit in India. He was shot dead by masked gunmen in June 2023, triggering diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa. Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in September 2023, had told Parliament that intelligence agencies were examining “credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the murder. India has consistently denied these claims.
Currently, four Indian citizens face trial in Canada over Nijjar’s killing. They are charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
On Saturday, Eric Balsam, a spokesperson for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), told The National Post that the agency’s assessment regarding India’s involvement had not changed. This contradicted an earlier statement by a senior government official on February 25, who had reportedly told Canadian media that Ottawa believed India was no longer linked to alleged violent crimes in the country.
The allegations are part of a broader history of diplomatic friction. In January 2025, a Canadian inquiry commission accused India of interfering in Canada’s electoral process by clandestinely funding political leaders and engaging in disinformation campaigns. The Indian MEA rejected the report, asserting that Canada itself had consistently interfered in India’s internal affairs.
In March 2025, CSIS warned that India, China, Russia, and Pakistan could attempt to interfere in the upcoming Canadian general election scheduled for April 2025. Despite these tensions, India and Canada, on February 8, announced a work plan to guide bilateral cooperation on national security and law enforcement.