A Canada commission report has stated that “no definitive link” to a “foreign state” has been “proven” in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, casting doubt on outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s earlier claims of India’s involvement in the case.
Trudeau had alleged in September 2023 that Canada had “credible evidence” of Indian agents’ role in Nijjar’s murder in British Columbia that June.
However, the report, titled ‘Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions’, was released on Tuesday and did not establish such a connection.
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue mentioned in the report that “disinformation is used as a retaliatory tactic to punish decisions that run contrary to a state’s interests.”
The findings of report suggest that India may have spread disinformation after Trudeau’s announcement.
“This may have been the case with a disinformation campaign that followed the Prime Minister’s announcement regarding suspected Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (though again no definitive link to a foreign state could be proven),” the report said.
Nijjar was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023.
The 123-page report also addressed the expulsion of diplomats.
“In October 2024, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials in reaction to a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Government of India,” it said. In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and withdrew its high commissioner.
India-Canada relations have remained strained since Trudeau’s 2023 allegations. New Delhi dismissed the claims as “absurd” and has frequently criticised Trudeau’s government for its stance on Khalistan supporters in Canada.
While the Khalistan movement is banned in India, it has significant backing among sections of the Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada.
On Tuesday, India strongly rejected the report’s “insinuations.” The ministry of external affairs in New Delhi responded with a firm statement, saying it was in fact Canada that has been “consistently interfering” in India’s internal affairs.
