India should take it seriously and investigate: US State Dept on Hardeep Nijjar’s killing

WASHINGTON, DC (US) : India should take the matter “very seriously and investigate” said the US State Department speaking on recent allegations associated with the case of the Indian government’s alleged involvement in the killing of the Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The remarks come at a time when there are already numerous twists and turns to the Nijjar killing case.

Responding to a media query during the State Department briefing on Monday (local time) on the arrest of three individuals linked with the killing of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 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,” he said.

Asserting that the US would “wait to see the results,” Miller added saying, “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.”

India and Canada are dealing with an unprecedented diplomatic crisis, after the Canadian Prime Minister accused agents of the Indian government of killing Canadian Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023. However, India has dismissed the accusations as “absurd” and “motivated.”

Nijjar was shot and killed after he had stepped out of a gurdwara in Surrey in June last year. A video clip of his killing reportedly surfaced in March this year, purportedly showing Nijjar being fatally shot by assailants, in what was claimed to be ‘contract killing’.

In a recent development, on May 4, Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh levelled a fresh allegation of India’s hand in the killing of Nijjar.

However, the Canadian police administration did not share any evidence linked to India’s involvement in the killing of the Khaliatani leader.

Jagmeet’s party backs the Liberal minority government led by Trudeau in exchange for support on some key bills. After the Canadian Police announced the arrest of three alleged accused in the killing of Hardep Nijjar, Jagmeet renewed his claim of an Indian hand in the incident.

“The Indian government hired assassins to murder a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil – at a place of worship. Today 3 arrests were made. Let me be clear – any Indian agent or state actor that ordered, planned or carried out this murder must be exposed and met with the full force of Canadian law. For Canada, democracy and free speech – there must be Justice for Hardeep Singh Nijjar,” Jagmeet posted from his X handle.

In 2023, the Canadian PM alleged an Indian hand in the killing, a claim that was vehemently denied by India which called it ‘absurd and motivated’.

The Canadian Police have also not given any evidence linking India to the killing.Earlier, on Friday, Canadian police released photographs of all three persons arrested in the killing of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year amid an ongoing probe into alleged connections of the Indian government.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in a statement named the three men, all Indian nationals, as Karanpreet Singh, 28, Kamalpreet Singh, 22 and Karan Brar, 22 and released their photographs. The trio were arrested in Edmonton City in Alberta. (ANI)