BENGALURU: Nearly five months after murder of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia, India’s High Com­missioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, has alleged that Canada’s police probe into the assassination has been damaged by a high-level Canadian official.

Canada has alleged Indian involvement in the murder in a Vancouver suburb of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom India called a “terrorist.” India denies the allegation.

“I would go a step further and say now the investigation has already been tainted,” Verma told The Globe and Mail in an interview.

“A direction has come from someone at a high level to say India or Indian agents are behind it.” However, Verma did not name the high-level official.

On Sept 18, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India” and Nijjar’s death.

The case has sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries. Canada withdrew 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi in September asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence following Canada’s allegations over Nijjar’s killing.

Verma said that India has not been shown concrete evidence by Canada or Canada’s allies that Indian agents were involved in Nijjar’s killing.

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In September, Canada paused talks on a proposed trade treaty with India, just three months after the two nations said they aimed to seal an initial agreement this year.

However, the Indian diplomat said that despite the strained relations between the two countries, India would like to expand business ties and return to the negotiating table on a trade deal.

Last month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the Indian government’s crackdown on Canadian diplomats was making normal life difficult for millions of people in both countries.

Around two million Canadians, around 5pc of the overall population, have Indian heritage.

India is by far Canada’s largest source of global students, making up for roughly 40pc of study permit holders.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2023