‘Canada had no evidence’: Former India envoy slams Trudeau for politically motivated Nijjar case

Former Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma has strongly denied the allegations by the then Trudeau-led Canadian government linking him to the assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In an interview with CNN-News18, Verma said that Ottawa presented “no evidence” to support its claims and accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration of using the case for political gain.

Verma said his role in Canada was limited to defending India’s interests and countering anti-India propaganda.

“I did my duty of defending India’s interests in Canada. I was able to raise my voice against anti-India elements. I did not do anything which was covert or against Canada-India relations,” CNN-News18 quoted him as saying.

Highlighting that Khalistani extremism in Canada remained a matter of concern for New Delhi, he said that Ottawa did little to address Indian security concerns.

“They did not share things with us. To some extent, they made our lives difficult. My freedom was limited. Probably they might be watching or listening to wherever I went,” he was quoted as saying.

The former Indian envoy also claimed he was subjected to harassment by Canadian authorities. “Someone from our defence forces who used to visit Canada was harassed. I was harassed,” he said.

His remarks come nearly a year after diplomatic ties between India and Canada deteriorated sharply.

In October last year, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and recalled Verma and other officials following Ottawa’s accusation that Indian diplomats were involved in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed the allegations as “ludicrous” and said they “deserved to be treated with contempt.”

The MEA also underscored Verma’s distinguished 36-year diplomatic career, which included high-profile assignments in countries such as Japan, Sudan, Italy, Turkiye, Vietnam, and China.

A 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Verma holds degrees from Patna University and IIT Delhi.

New Delhi has repeatedly maintained that Canada has failed to provide any credible evidence in the Nijjar case, while simultaneously allowing extremist elements to operate freely —groups that India says threaten its national security.

With inputs from agencies