Ottawa (Canada):Nearly three years after former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged a possible link between Indian government agents and the , the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has said its investigation found no evidence that Indian officials were involved or charged in the case.
The clarification came after US authorities unsealed an indictment charging jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close associate Goldy Brar with conspiring to kill Nijjar in 2023. The Indian government is not implicated in the indictment.
What Canadian police saidAt a joint US-Canada media briefing, the RCMP said investigators have not found evidence linking Indian government officials to Nijjar’s killing. The announcement was made in tandem with the launch of Operation Hard Ball, a coordinated FBI investigation targeting the Lawrence Bishnoi, Ravinder Dhanda and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria criminal networks.
These organized criminal groups are involved in extortion, drug trafficking, kidnappings and multiple violent crimes, including the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, say Canadian authorities.
Debunking Trudeau's claimsThe RCMP’s statement follows nearly three years after then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Canada’s Parliament that there were “credible allegations” that agents of the Indian government were tied to the killing of Nijjar. His comments sparked a major diplomatic spat between India and Canada.
India has dismissed the allegations as “absurd” and has repeatedly asked Canada to share credible evidence. The row saw both countries expel diplomats, cut diplomatic staff numbers, temporarily suspend visa services, stall trade talks and prolong tensions in bilateral relations. Relations have only recently started improving under Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Lawrence Bishnoi gang behind Nijjar's killing: US
The US indictment says Lawrence Bishnoi operated the conspiracy from jail in India using smuggled mobile phones, while Goldy Brar operated the scheme in North America.
Prosecutors have accused Bishnoi of providing photos and addresses of Nijjar ahead of the slaying, which took place on June 18, 2023 outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.
The indictment is part of a sweeping case against 37 defendants associated with three Indian-origin organised crime syndicates charged with murder, extortion, narcotics trafficking and arms smuggling across Canada, the United States and several other countries.