Toronto: A senior Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) official has said investigators have found no evidence linking Indian government officials to the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, a statement that contrasts with allegations previously made by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The remarks were made by RCMP Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland, hours after US authorities accused jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his associate Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar of ordering Nijjar’s murder.
The statement came following Operation Hard Ball, a joint law enforcement operation involving agencies from the United States, Canada and Europe, which led to the arrest of 24 people allegedly linked to three India-based organised crime groups, including the Bishnoi gang. The accused face charges related to Nijjar’s murder conspiracy and other cross-border organised crime offences.
Speaking to CBC News, Moreland said investigators had not found any evidence connecting Indian government officials to Nijjar’s killing.
Responding to questions about Trudeau’s earlier allegations, she said the organised crime investigation and the charges filed so far contained no evidence implicating Indian government officials in the case.
Moreland also stated that the Government of India had cooperated with the investigation.
The case had triggered a major diplomatic dispute after Justin Trudeau alleged, weeks after Nijjar’s killing outside a gurdwara in British Columbia, that Indian government agents were involved in the assassination. India has consistently rejected those allegations.
