After months of speculation and diplomatic tensions, a Canadian Commission report has found “no definitive link to a foreign state” in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The findings come as a significant development after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s explosive allegations in September 2023, when he claimed Canada had “credible evidence” of Indian agents’ involvement in Nijjar’s murder in British Columbia.
The report, titled Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, was released on Tuesday. It suggests that while may be involved in spreading disinformation after Trudeau‘s accusations, there is no concrete evidence linking New Delhi to the killing. The conclusion marks a crucial turn in the controversy, which had strained India-Canada relations and led to diplomatic fallout between the wo countries, including trade tensions and visa suspensions.
Commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue stated that this could have been the result of a disinformation campaign that emerged after the Prime Minister’s statement about possible Indian involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Nijjar was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, Canada, in June 2023. His killing ignited political and community debates, with Canada accusing India of foreign interference. Tensions between India and Canada particularly escalated after Trudeau’s accusations, which India dismissed as “absurd.” India has long criticised Trudeau’s government for tolerating pr
The 123-page report also highlighted the expulsion of six Indian diplomats from Canada in October 2024, a move made in response to what was described as a “targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents associated with the Government of India.” In retaliation, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and recalled its high commissioner.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday strongly rejected the report’s “insinuations,” asserting that it is Canada, not India, that has been “consistently interfering” in India’s domestic matters.