By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Intercepted communications, provided by British intelligence and corroborated by Canadian authorities, implicate high-level Indian officials, including Prime Minister Modi’s right-hand man, in the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a B.C. Sikh leader. These findings explain Canada’s accusations against New Delhi, which denies any involvement in the killing. The intercepted conversations, considered strong evidence due to their origin within the Five Eyes intelligence partnership, have emerged at a time when the Canadian government is seeking to strengthen ties with India. Despite these efforts, the World Sikh Organization of Canada has expressed concerns, arguing that the government’s approach betrays Sikh Canadians and Canada’s sovereignty. The RCMP has also stated that a much broader series of crimes had also been “orchestrated by agents of the government of India.”
Read the original article here
British and Canadian Intelligence Intercept Communications Linking Indian Government With Assassination Plots in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom is a story that has a lot of moving parts. To break it down, it all started with a heads-up. The United Kingdom’s Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ, caught some chatter that raised eyebrows. It seems the Indian government was allegedly talking about plots to take out Sikh activists, including Hardeep Nijjar, in both Canada and the U.S. That’s when the five eyes started working together, exchanging information and figuring out what was really going on.
Over the next few days, Canadian security agencies worked to corroborate the initial intelligence. They also received another British wiretap, this one capturing a conversation referring to how Nijjar had been successfully eliminated.
The intelligence was shared within the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance. As the information solidified, it revealed that at least some of the plots were traced back to India’s Research and Analysis Wing, or RAW, which reports directly to the office of Prime Minister Modi. One particularly concerning plot targeted Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a pro-Khalistan activist based in New York. The plan, as alleged, involved a RAW officer hiring an Indian criminal to carry out the hit. This wasn’t just a case of targeting one person; the communications also mentioned potential targets in Canada.
It’s clear that the stakes are high, and this is where things get complicated. The U.S., which has significant strategic and military interests in India, might be less eager to make a major public issue out of the allegations. Canada and the U.K., while upholding their own laws and values, also need to consider their economic partnerships, especially as global trade dynamics shift. All of this plays into how the situation is handled, and how much information is shared publicly. It’s a delicate balancing act.
Let’s not forget the details surrounding the individuals involved. Hardeep Nijjar, for example, wasn’t just some innocent bystander. He had a background that included past allegations of involvement in attacks, and he had been denied permanent residency in Canada. He was married to a Canadian citizen, which gave him his citizenship.
It is important to look back on historical issues, as they can sometimes shape the present. In the past, following the Air India bombings, Canada initially saw the issue as an “Indian problem,” even though the vast majority of the victims were Canadian citizens. There were recorded conversations and evidence that was later erased, and witnesses faced threats. This is a pattern that leaves some feeling like justice and accountability were lacking.
The core issue here is extrajudicial killings, or the unauthorized killing of a person by a government, without a trial. The allegations are that the Indian government is going outside of its jurisdiction and international legal norms to eliminate perceived threats. India’s alleged actions are something that cannot be ignored. Every nation should operate within a framework of international law. The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, among other nations, have the rule of law.
This brings up another complex issue: the question of whether or not to extradite these individuals to India. Canada’s justice system operates independently, and it’s not simply a matter of the government taking action based on India’s requests. If India presents its case with evidence, follows due process, and respects the principle of not extraditing to countries where the death penalty may be imposed, then the legal procedures can be started.
The focus should be on upholding the rule of law and respecting international norms, so that covert assassinations are no longer an option. The potential for the escalation of these events, and the breakdown of established legal practices are not desirable outcomes.