India on Tuesday said the remarks of a senior Canadian police officer accusing the Lawrence Bishnoi gang of killing Hardeep Singh Nijjar are consistent with the United States indictment. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who had been designated a terrorist by India, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in British Columbia in June 2023.
Speaking on this, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "We have noted the remarks made by the RCMP (The Royal Canadian Mounted Police) Deputy Commissioner. These remarks are consistent with the recently unsealed US indictment, which attributes responsibility to the members of the Lawrence Bishnoi organised crime group. India remains committed to working with our partners in combating terrorism and transnational organised crime through close law enforcement and security cooperation."
"Regarding the operation by law enforcement agencies in the United States, we have seen the announcements made by the US Department of Justice regarding the indictments and enforcement action against transnational organised crime networks operating across several countries. 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. India and the United States enjoy strong and effective growing cooperation when it comes to combating terrorism as well as transnational organised crime. Our agencies on both sides here in India and those in the United States have been working closely over the years, and this cooperation continues to strengthen and deepen,” he then added.
A few months after Nijjar’s murder, then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament that Canadian intelligence agencies were investigating credible allegations of a possible link between Indian government agents and the killing. India strongly rejected the allegations, describing them as "absurd."
The accusations triggered one of the most serious diplomatic crises between India and Canada in recent years, with New Delhi accusing Ottawa of allowing pro-Khalistan elements to operate freely from Canadian soil.
In October 2024, India recalled its High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, along with five other diplomats after Ottawa sought to associate them with the Nijjar investigation. Canada subsequently expelled an equal number of Indian diplomats, further escalating tensions.
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