Canada refuses India's request for Hardeep Singh Nijjar's death certificate
What's the story
The Canadian government has rejected India's National Investigation Agency (NIA)'s request for the death certificate of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar was murdered in June 2023. An Indian-origin Canadian citizen, he was wanted in nine cases under investigation by the NIA. The agency requested his death certificate to inform Indian courts about the status of these pending cases against him.
Response
'Why do you need it'
"Instead of sharing the death certificate, they asked us 'why do you need it'," a senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity said. Nijjar, 46, was shot dead by masked assailants outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, in June 2023. Canadian officials have arrested four Indian nationals and charged them with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Diplomatic tension
Nijjar's murder strains India-Canada diplomatic relations
The murder of Nijjar has strained diplomatic ties between India and Canada. The Canadian government alleged that Indian agencies were involved in his murder, a charge New Delhi has vehemently denied. Tensions further escalated recently when Canada named senior Indian diplomats as "persons of interest" in the probe into Nijjar's murder, leading to their withdrawal by India.
Ongoing investigations
NIA pursues Interpol notice against pro-Khalistan activist
Apart from the Nijjar case, the NIA is also seeking an Interpol red-corner notice against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a pro-Khalistan activist and United States citizen. The NIA is currently investigating six cases involving Pannun. In its investigation, the agency attached three of his properties in Chandigarh, Amritsar, and Pathankot on the grounds that they were proceeds of terrorism.