Canada cops say no evidence linking Indian govt to Nijjar murder; probe continues as US charges Bishnoi network
Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing: Nearly three years after former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly suggested a possible connection between Indian government agents and the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canada's federal police have stated that investigators have not found evidence implicating Indian government officials in the case.
The clarification comes as authorities in the United States announced criminal charges against jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and several alleged members of his organised crime network, accusing them of orchestrating Nijjar's murder. The American indictment, however, does not accuse the Government of India of any involvement.
Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said investigators have uncovered no evidence so far that would support criminal charges against Indian government representatives.
Speaking to CBC News, Moreland said the investigation remains active and will continue, but added that nothing uncovered during the organised crime probe has established a connection between Indian officials and the murder.
Her remarks represent a notable departure from the political narrative that emerged in September 2023, when then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau informed Canada's Parliament that intelligence agencies were examining credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and Nijjar's killing. India had strongly rejected those claims from the outset, describing them as baseless and insisting Ottawa had failed to provide any supporting evidence.
The latest development coincides with the unsealing of indictments by the US Department of Justice under Operation Hard Ball, a multinational investigation targeting transnational organised crime networks.
According to US prosecutors, Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently lodged in Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarat, headed the criminal organisation allegedly responsible for planning Nijjar's assassination. Authorities also named Satinderjeet Singh, better known as Goldy Brar, along with Rohit Godara and Sukhraj Singh Kang as members of the network facing charges.
The Justice Department alleged that the criminal enterprise was involved in activities, including contract killings, extortion, narcotics trafficking, shootings and racketeering affecting communities across North America and Europe.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen originally from Punjab, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. India had designated him a terrorist in 2020 and accused him of leading the banned Khalistan Tiger Force.
The RCMP's latest statement comes at a time when diplomatic relations between India and Canada have shown signs of improvement following the change in leadership in Ottawa. Since Prime Minister Mark Carney assumed office, both countries have resumed high-level diplomatic engagement after relations deteriorated sharply during Trudeau's tenure.
While the RCMP's comments do not close the Nijjar investigation, they indicate that investigators have not found evidence connecting the Indian government to the killing at this stage. With the criminal investigation continuing and organised crime figures now facing charges in the United States, the focus of the case has increasingly shifted toward the alleged role of transnational criminal networks rather than state involvement.
- With inputs from agencies
