‘Never received anything specific, worthy of investigation from Canada': Jaishankar on Nijjar killing case

Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing row: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated that India never received anything “specific or worthy” of investigation from Canada. This comes after reports on the fourth arrest made by Canadian authorities on the killing of the Khalistani separatist. 

Dr S Jaishankar said, "I also read that another arrest has been made...We have long maintained that if any event or violence in Canada has any evidence or information that is relevant to be investigated in India, we are open to investigating it. To date, we have never received anything specific or worthy of being investigated by our investigative agencies..."

India has said multiple times earlier too that Canada, despite the allegations, never furnished any material or evidence of the involvement of Indian agents in the killing of the Khalistani separatist. 

Recently too, Jaishankar said that Nijjar’s killing was the result of internal politics and had nothing to do with India. A section of pro-Khalistani people are using Canada’s democracy, creating a lobby and have become a vote bank, said Jaishankar earlier this month. 

CANADA ARRESTS FOURTH INDIAN NATIONAL

Meanwhile, Canadian authorities arrested the fourth Indian national a week after three were arrested in connection with the killing of Nijjar.  Amandeep Singh, 22, a resident of Brampton, Surrey, and Abbotsford areas of Canada, has been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested Singh on May 11 for his role in the killing of Nijjar. He is believed to be one of the two who opened-fire on Nijjar. 

IHIT investigators on May 3 arrested three Indian nationals -- Karan Brar (22), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and 28-year-old Karanpreet Singh -- for the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023.