Canadian Police: Indian Diplomats Accused of Involvement in Murders

ottawa - Tensions rise between Canada and India as Canadian police accuse Indian diplomats of involvement in murders, extortion, and other violent crimes on Canadian soil. Diplomatic fallout leads to expulsion of each other's ambassadors.

Canadian police have accused Indian diplomats of playing a role in 'murders, extortion, and other violent crimes' on Canadian soil, leading to a diplomatic rift between Canada and India. The police stated that the actions of the diplomats pose 'a danger to public safety,' as reported by CBC News. Southeast Asian communities in Canada, particularly members of the Khalistan movement, are said to be targeted in these violent crimes.

One leader of the Khalistan movement, Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was fatally shot in June last year outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver with a large Sikh population. He had been a Canadian citizen since 2015 after moving to the country in 1997. He was wanted in India for terrorism.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously hinted at Indian intelligence involvement in Nijjar's death. 'The government of India made a fundamental mistake in thinking it can support criminal activities against Canadians on Canadian soil,' Trudeau told reporters, condemning it as 'a gross violation of Canada's sovereignty and international law.'

India was reportedly informed of the police investigation over the weekend. The country had earlier dismissed the accusations as 'absurd.' A diplomatic fallout over a murder last year also escalated tensions between the two countries, resulting in the recall of several diplomats.