India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma on Saturday said that the Canada police’s probe into the murder of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar has been damaged by a high-level Canadian official's public statements. In an interview with Canada’s the Globe and Mail, Verma said that the probe has already been “tainted”.
"I would go a step further and say now the investigation has already been tainted," Verma said without naming the official and added: "A direction has come from someone at a high level to say India or Indian agents are behind it."
In September this year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India's involvement in the murder of Khalistani leader Nijjar who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia.
"Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India" and Nijjar's death, Trudeau had said at the House of Commons.
The allegations were refuted by India as “absurd and motivated”.
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In his interview, Verma also said that there had been no concrete evidence shown to New Delhi by Canada or Canada's allies that established the role of Indian agents involvement in the killings of Nijjar.
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.
The case has sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries. Canada withdrew 41 of its diplomats from India after New Delhi asked Ottawa in September to reduce its diplomatic presence following Canada's allegations.
Canada had also halted talks on a proposed trade treaty with India in September, just three months after New Delhi and Ottawa said they aimed to seal an initial agreement this year.