Sikh Advocates in Canada Raise Alarm Over Report Linking India to Nijjar Killing
Sikh community leaders in Canada have voiced deep concern over a new report alleging that Indian consular officials helped enable the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, according to Al Jazeera. The claims, published by The Globe and Mail, have renewed tensions between Canada and India and intensified fears among Sikh Canadians about their safety.
The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) said it was “deeply disturbed” by the newspaper’s findings, which cited unnamed law-enforcement and national-security sources. According to the report, an Indian visa officer stationed at the Vancouver consulate believed to be linked to India’s external intelligence agency gathered information on Nijjar that was later used to assist his assassination.
The sources alleged that the intelligence was passed to an officer in New Delhi, who then communicated with members of the Bishnoi gang, a criminal network accused of violent activity in Canada. A Canada-based associate of the gang allegedly helped arrange the shooting of Nijjar outside a Sikh gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
India has strongly rejected the accusations. Periasamy Kumaran of India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the country “categorically rejects allegations of involvement in transnational violence or organised crime,” calling them politically motivated and unsupported by credible evidence.
Calls for Wider Investigation
The WSO described the alleged plot as a “grave attack” on Canadian sovereignty and urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to ensure the investigation reaches beyond the gunmen to any officials who may have directed the killing. The group’s appeal came as Carney concluded a visit to India aimed at strengthening trade ties despite ongoing diplomatic strains.
The trip drew criticism from Sikh activists, who accused Ottawa of prioritizing economic relations over human rights concerns. Community leaders say threats against Sikh separatist figures in Canada have continued since Nijjar’s death. They pointed to a recent warning issued to another activist and former associate of Nijjar about risks to his life.
Nijjar, who led the gurdwara where he was killed, was a prominent supporter of the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh state in India’s Punjab region. India had previously designated him as involved in terrorism, a label Canada did not accept.
Diplomatic Rift and Ongoing Probe
The case sparked a major diplomatic crisis in 2023 after then prime minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was investigating credible allegations linking India to Nijjar’s killing. Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply, with mutual expulsions of diplomats and public accusations.
Canada’s national police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said in 2024 it was probing possible involvement of Indian government agents in serious crimes in Canada, including extortion and homicide. Officials also reported more than a dozen credible threats against pro-Khalistan activists.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand declined to comment on the latest report, citing the ongoing criminal case against suspects accused of carrying out the shooting. She said Canada would continue to address foreign interference and protect its citizens.
For many Sikh Canadians, however, the allegations have revived fears that Nijjar’s killing was not an isolated act but part of a wider campaign. As investigations continue and diplomatic tensions linger, the case remains a painful symbol of how distant conflicts can reach into diaspora communities far from home.
