Amid escalating tensions between India and Canada over the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, former Canadian National Security Adviser (NSA) Jody Thomas revealed that preliminary intelligence and police investigations suggested that Nijjar’s killing was retaliation for the murder of Ripudaman Singh Malik, a man previously accused in connection with the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing.
Thomas’s Testimony on Nijjar’s Assassination
During her testimony before Canada’s foreign interference inquiry, Jody Thomas discussed the complex circumstances surrounding Nijjar’s murder, which took place in Surrey last year. She noted that Nijjar’s assassination was the second high-profile murder connected to the same gurdwara, with Malik’s murder occurring almost exactly one year earlier.
“Nijjar’s killing was the second high-profile murder in the same gurdwara,” Thomas said. “Mr. Malik’s murder had occurred almost exactly the year before. The initial hypothesis was that it was a retaliation. But the community was raising concern,” she added. However, as investigations continued, new intelligence suggested that Nijjar’s death might have been classified as an extra-judicial killing. “Through very good intelligence and policing work, we learnt that there was a high probability that this was an extra-judicial killing,” Thomas stated.
Trudeau’s Accusations and India’s Response
Thomas’s testimony echoed recent accusations made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who alleged that Indian agents were involved in Nijjar’s assassination. In contrast, India’s Ministry of External Affairs firmly rejected these claims, asserting that Canada had failed to provide any substantive evidence to support its allegations.
‘We Couldn’t Share Much Because…’: Ex-NSA
Expounding on the limitations of sharing information, Thomas explained that Canada was unable to provide as much evidence to India as the United States had during its investigations. “We couldn’t share as much evidence with India as America was able to. This explains the difference in the handling and cooperation of the two cases,” she said.
Deteriorating Relations Between India and Canada
The diplomatic relationship between India and Canada has deteriorated significantly since Trudeau’s accusations. Tensions flared when Ottawa named India’s High Commissioner and other diplomats as “persons of interest” in the investigation surrounding Nijjar’s murder. In response, India dismissed these claims as “motivated and absurd,” intensifying the already strained ties between the two nations.
Later, during his testimony before the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference, Trudeau acknowledged that Canada had not provided India with concrete proof regarding the allegations against it. He clarified that the information available was primarily based on intelligence rather than hard evidence. “And at that point, it was primarily intelligence, not hard evidentiary proof,” Trudeau said, referencing the alleged involvement of Indian agents in Nijjar’s assassination outside a gurdwara in Canada.
The Fallout: Diplomatic Expulsions
As a result of the accusations exchanged between the two countries, both India and Canada have expelled diplomats, marking a low point in their diplomatic relations. The tensions continue to rise as each side navigates the political ramifications of the ongoing feud.
The Background of Ripudaman Singh Malik
Ripudaman Singh Malik, previously suspected of funding the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing, was shot dead in Canada on July 22, 2022. He was killed by unknown gunmen near Vancouver, marking a violent end for a figure long entangled in controversy. Malik was one of the accused in the bombing of Air India Flight 182, which exploded near the Irish coastline on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board.
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