India 'convicted' even before Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder trial, says envoy

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 25

Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma has said that India had been “convicted” of the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar even before the investigations into the case could be concluded.

Reiterating External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s request to Ottawa to share evidence, Verma also said the Indian government would look into anything “very specific and relevant” that was provided by the Canadian government to back up Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations about a potential Indian link to Nijjar’s killing in June this year.

Asked about Trudeau’s allegations in an interview with a Canadian TV channel, Verma said, “There are two points on that. One is that, even without the investigation being concluded, India was convicted. Is that a rule of law?”

Asked how India was “convicted” in the case, the Indian High Commissioner explained, “Because India was asked to cooperate and if you look at the typical criminal terminology, when someone asks to cooperate, it means you have already been convicted and you better cooperate. So, we took it in a very different interpretation. But, we have always said that if there is anything very specific and relevant, and communicated to us, we will look into it.”

On November 16, Jaishankar had said, “If at any stage any country believes they have reason to suspect something amiss, present us with evidence, I would not justify it. I will look into it.” He also accused Canadian politicians of giving free space to advocates of violent and lethal means and said it had come to a situation where Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner, were intimidated in public and there was no action.

Trudeau charges led to strain in ties

• Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Canada’s Surrey in June
• India-Canada relations have been strained after Trudeau alleged India played a role in the murder
• India had rejected the allegations as ‘absurd and motivated’ and told Canada to give credible proof
• New Delhi expelled a Canadian diplomat after Ottawa told a senior Indian diplomat to leave

Criminal terminology

Were told to cooperate and if you look at the typical criminal terminology, when someone asks to cooperate, it means you have already been convicted. — Sanjay Kumar Verma, Indian High Commissioner to Canada

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