{"id":21711,"date":"2023-11-06T04:22:16","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T04:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/indian-diplomat-says-canadian-official-damaged-sikh-murder-probe-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-11-06T04:22:16","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T04:22:16","slug":"indian-diplomat-says-canadian-official-damaged-sikh-murder-probe-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/indian-diplomat-says-canadian-official-damaged-sikh-murder-probe-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian diplomat says Canadian official damaged Sikh murder probe | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Canada’s police probe into the June murder of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia has been damaged by a high-level Canadian official’s public statements, India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, told the Globe and Mail in an interview published on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Canada has alleged Indian involvement in the murder in a Vancouver suburb of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whom India called a “terrorist.” India denies the allegation.<\/p>\n

“I would go a step further and say now the investigation has already been tainted,” Verma told the newspaper. “A direction has come from someone at a high level to say India or Indian agents are behind it.”<\/p>\n

Verma did not name the high-level official. On Sept. 18, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India” and Nijjar’s death.<\/p>\n

Read also:\u00a0Canada\u2019s international law options<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The case has sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries. Canada withdrew 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi in September asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence following Canada’s allegations over Nijjar’s killing.<\/p>\n

Verma said that India has not been shown concrete evidence by Canada or Canada’s allies that Indian agents were involved in Nijjar’s killing.<\/p>\n

He said that despite the strained relations between the two countries, India would like to expand business ties and return to the negotiating table on a trade deal.<\/p>\n

In September, Canada paused talks on a proposed trade treaty with India, just three months after the two nations said they aimed to seal an initial agreement this year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n