Indian and Canadian security and diplomatic officials have reportedly engaged in several confidential meetings recently to address the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. David Vigneault, former director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), met with a senior Indian intelligence official twice in a third country following India’s Lok Sabha elections, according to sources cited by the Hindustan Times.
India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, has also met with Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor, Nathalie G Drouin, on four occasions this year. These discussions have focused on Nijjar’s murder in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2022. Canada accused Indian agents of being involved in Nijjar’s death in September 2023, a claim that India quickly dismissed as “absurd.” While CSIS has confirmed Vigneault’s travel to India, it has not disclosed specific details about the recent meetings.
Additionally, India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has removed several officials amid allegations of a “murder for hire” plot in the U.S. targeting Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. This plot has led to the arrest of four Indian nationals by Canadian authorities, though their connection to Indian agents remains unproven. The ongoing investigation and related arrests, including that of Amandeep Singh in connection to Nijjar’s killing, have further strained relations between India and Canada, with more arrests and charges expected as the investigation progresses.
