India on Tuesday said it has taken note of remarks made by a senior Canadian police official stating that investigators have found no evidence linking Indian government officials to the 2023 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The statement comes after US authorities charged jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his alleged associate Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar with ordering Nijjar's murder, shifting the focus of the investigation towards transnational organised crime networks.
RCMP Says No Evidence Against Indian Officials
Last week, Lisa Moreland, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), said investigators had not uncovered evidence connecting Indian government officials to the assassination.
"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," Moreland said in an interview with a Canadian news channel.
Her remarks contrast with allegations made by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who had claimed in 2023 that Canadian intelligence agencies were investigating possible links between Indian government agents and Nijjar's killing.
MEA Responds
Responding to questions on the US indictment against Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had noted the announcements made by the US Department of Justice.
"India has consistently maintained that transnational organised crime, terrorism, narco-trafficking, human trafficking, illegal firearms trafficking and related criminal networks pose a serious threat to our societies," Jaiswal said during the weekly media briefing.
He added that India and the United States continue to strengthen cooperation in tackling terrorism and organised crime.
"Our agencies in India and those in the United States have been working closely over the years, and this cooperation continues to strengthen and deepen," he said.
Diplomatic Rift Over Nijjar Killing
Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia in June 2023.
Months later, then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in Parliament that there were credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the killing. India strongly rejected the claims, calling them "absurd" and accusing Canada of giving space to pro-Khalistan extremists operating from its soil.
The accusations triggered one of the worst diplomatic crises between the two countries in recent years.
Relations Showing Signs of Recovery
In October 2024, India recalled its High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and five other diplomats after Canada attempted to link them to the Nijjar investigation. Ottawa subsequently expelled an equal number of Indian diplomats.
Bilateral ties have since shown signs of improvement following Mark Carney's election as Canadian Prime Minister. Both countries have restored diplomatic representation and resumed efforts to rebuild engagement through bilateral mechanisms.
