India responds to US and Canada developments in Nijjar killing case

India has responded to fresh developments in the case linked to the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, after a recently unsealed US indictment named jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his aide Goldy Brar. In its first remarks on the matter, New Delhi said transnational organised crime has consistently been seen as a serious threat. It also said it remains committed to working with partners to combat terrorism and transnational organised crime.

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The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said it had noted comments from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police deputy commissioner, Lisa Moreland, who said there was no evidence to suggest Indian government officials were involved. Delhi said those remarks were consistent with the US indictment, which attributes responsibility to members of the Lawrence Bishnoi organised crime group. The statement came on Tuesday, shortly after the latest turn in a case that has already strained relations between India and Canada.

The US Department of Justice said the wider operation, called Operation Hardball, led to the arrest of 24 members of three Indian crime syndicates. According to the department, those arrests were made by law enforcement agencies in the US, Canada and Europe. The people detained are facing charges including targeted killings, shootings, extortion and trafficking of narcotics across international borders.

The case therefore sits at the intersection of organised crime, cross-border policing and a politically sensitive killing. The Nijjar case has carried diplomatic weight since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly raised allegations nearly three years ago that Canadian security agencies were pursuing credible claims of a potential link between agents of the Government of India and the killing. India has repeatedly rejected suggestions of state involvement.

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The latest US indictment has shifted attention back to the role of criminal networks, while leaving the broader political dispute unresolved. The developments also highlight the growing focus on transnational organised crime as a security issue for multiple governments. The Indian statement framed cooperation with partners as part of a wider effort against terrorism and organised crime, rather than as a response to the Canadian allegation alone.

For Canada, the RCMP comments were presented as a clarification that the current organised-crime investigation had not produced evidence implicating Indian officials. What remains unclear is whether the US indictment and the wider Operation Hardball arrests will alter the diplomatic standoff around Nijjar's killing. It is also not clear whether further charges or evidence will emerge that change the current public positions of India and Canada.

For now, the case continues to develop on two tracks: criminal proceedings against alleged gang members and an unresolved political dispute over responsibility for the killing.

#India #Canada #HardeepSinghNijjar #LawrenceBishnoi #GoldyBrar #transnationalorganisedcrime #OperationHardball

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