Hardeep Nijjar's killing: US says India should take it 'seriously and probe'

Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing: The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Trudeau's allegations in September last year

The US said India should take allegations associated with the case of the Indian government's alleged involvement in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar “very seriously and investigate”.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Nijjar outside a gurdwara in Surrey city

Responding to a query on the arrest of three persons linked with the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, "I would refer you to the Canadian authorities to speak to the details of the investigation there."

"With respect to the indictment that was returned in the United States, I'll let the Department of Justice speak on behalf of that in detail. And then the only thing further I'd say: When it comes to the State Department, we made clear when these allegations were first made public that it's something we think India should take very seriously and investigate," news agency ANI quoted the official as saying.

Miller further asserted that the United States would be waiting for the investigation results after a committee was formed to look into the matter. "They opened a committee of inquiry to look into the matter, and that work is ongoing, and we'll wait to see the results. But we made very clear that it's something that we take seriously and we think it's something they should take seriously as well,' he added.

The remarks came days after three Indian nationals were charged first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the Nijjar murder case. Those arrested by the Canadian police have been identified as Karanpreet Singh (28), Kamalpreet Singh (22) and Karan Brar (22). The trio were arrested in Edmonton, Alberta. The police also released the photographs of the three accused along with the photograph of a Toyota Corolla car, which it claims was used by the suspects in the time leading up to the murder of Nijjar.

Later, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada is a "rule-of-law country" with a strong and independent justice system and a fundamental commitment to protect its citizens. External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said what is happening in election-bound Canada over the killing of Nijjar is mostly due to their internal politics and has nothing to do with India. S Jaishankar contended that Canada accuses India of wrongdoing without substantiating its claims.

The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Trudeau's allegations in September last year of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of 45-year-old Nijjar, a Khalistan separatist. He was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. New Delhi has dismissed Trudeau's charges as "absurd" and "motivated."

The presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada has long frustrated India, which had designated Nijjar a "terrorist."