Canada’s Investigation into Sikh Activist’s Murder

• Tensions rise between Canada and India over the allegations.
• Both countries expel diplomats and issue travel advisories.
• Canada’s allies exercise caution due to global geopolitical considerations.

The Canadian government has conducted an extensive investigation into the murder of a Sikh activist, suggesting Indian involvement, according to a report by media sources. The murder victim, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was killed outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June. Tensions between Canada and India escalated after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Ottawa was actively pursuing credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the murder.

As a result of these allegations, both countries have announced expulsions of senior diplomats and issued travel advisories, exacerbating their already strained relations due to the issue of Sikh separatism. India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s government, has vehemently denied any involvement in the alleged murder. Canada has urged India to cooperate with the murder investigation but has refrained from disclosing its evidence.

Traditional Canadian allies have been cautious in their response, possibly because major global players, including the United States, view India as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence.

The media reported that Canadian government sources have revealed that their intelligence gathering included communications involving Indian officials, including Indian diplomats in Canada. Some of this intelligence came from an unnamed ally within the Five Eyes alliance, a global intelligence-sharing network consisting of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Furthermore, the report stated that the slain Sikh leader had reportedly received warnings from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service about potential risks to his safety. During the unfolding diplomatic crisis, Canadian officials made multiple trips to India to seek cooperation in the investigation of Nijjar’s death.

Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Adviser, Jody Thomas, visited India for over four days in mid-August, with another five-day visit occurring this month, coinciding with a tense meeting between the leaders of the two countries. Canadian sources mentioned that Indian officials, when questioned in private, did not deny the central allegation of Indian government involvement in the assassination of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.

Prime Minister Trudeau emphasized the seriousness of the decision to share these allegations in the House of Commons, stating that it was not taken lightly, during his attendance at the 78th UN General Assembly in New York.

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