OTTAWA, Canada (Diya TV) —The Canadian government has rejected New Delhi’s appeal for obtaining the death certificate of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was found dead outside the Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey, British Columbia, last June. New Delhi wanted this through the National Investigation Agency as part of its criminal inquiry into Nijjar, who has been deemed a terrorist by the Indian government.
The Nijjar killing has further added to the diplomatic crisis between India and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had already alleged in parliament that India could be implicated in the assassination of Nijjar. But a day later, he again clarified that his government was solely based on intelligence reports while not possessing any kind of evidence. India vehemently denies these claims termed as “absurd.”
According to sources, India’s NIA had three criminal cases against Nijjar and his associates pending when he died. The agency feels that obtaining his death certificate is legally required for the ongoing investigations. The Indian government feels slighted by the reluctance of Canada to provide this document. It has asked Canada to come up with evidence to prove its claims instead.
The denial of the death certificate of Nijjar speaks volumes about the worsening of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Last week, Canadian authorities had termed Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in the probe into Nijjar’s death, further straining ties. India has called this characterization preposterous and continues to push for accountability regarding the Canadian government’s handling of the situation.
