NIA still awaiting Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death certificate months after request to Canada

Surrey (The Uttam Hindu): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) requested Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s death certificate from Canada, but was asked to provide a justification for the request, according to an agency official. Nijjar, a pro-Khalistani terrorist, was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia, in June of the previous year. The NIA sought the death certificate to further its investigation into cases where he was listed as an accused. While the request was made nearly six months ago, Canadian authorities responded a couple of months back, asking for the reason behind the NIA's request. Relations between India and Canada have soured since September, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged a potential Indian government role in Nijjar's killing, claims that India has labeled as "absurd" and "motivated."

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and the leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was designated a terrorist by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2020. According to an NIA officer, there are two cases involving Nijjar that require his death certificate for documentation to be presented before a Delhi court. The NIA had approached Canada under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) for this purpose. In September 2023, Trudeau stated in the House of Commons that Canada had credible evidence suggesting the involvement of Indian officials in Nijjar's killing, although he later acknowledged that he only had intelligence and no "hard evidentiary proof."

In 2022, the NIA announced a reward of ₹10 lakh for information leading to Nijjar’s arrest in connection with an attack on a Hindu priest in Jalandhar in 2021. Investigations revealed that Nijjar had made inflammatory statements and posted provocative content online. The NIA documented evidence linking him to inciting rebellion and creating unrest in India, particularly during the farmers' protests against the three farm laws in late 2020. Originally from Bhar Singh Pura village in Punjab, Nijjar moved to Canada in 1997, where he initially worked as a plumber and later became the president of the Surrey Gurdwara in 2020. The MHA categorized the KTF as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in February 2023, describing it as a militant outfit aiming to revive terrorism in Punjab and threatening India's territorial integrity. Nijjar reportedly traveled to Pakistan in 2013-14 to meet Jagtar Singh Tara, who is serving a life sentence for the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.