Canada ignored warnings on Nijjar's criminal activities: Indian officials

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose killing in Canada has plunged New Delhi-Ottawa diplomatic ties to their lowest depth, lived dangerously in his adopted country. While Canada has accused India of having a hand in his killing, India has given angry rebuttals.

Meanwhile, Indian officials say Nijjar's hand was suspected in several criminal and terrorist activities, both on Canadian and Indian soil. Even though Indian intelligence officials repeatedly pointed these out to their Canadian counterparts, the warnings were ignored, The Federal has learned. 

For instance, Nijjar most likely was behind the killing of Ripudaman Singh Malik, a former Khalistani who subseqently turned pro-Indian government, Indian security officials say.

Malik's terror background 

Malik was once charged by Canadian police of being part of the Khalistani conspiracy to bring down by bombing the Air India flight 182 on June 23, 1985, resulting in the killing of 329 passengers and crew members. But he was acquitted following a lengthy trial. In his last years he had a change of heart, realising the futility of violence that took place in the name of Khalistan.

Along with around 100 other leading members of the Sikh diaspora community, Malik was invited to the November 2019 opening of the corridor connecting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, one of the holiest sites of Sikhism, in Kartarpur (Pakistan), to the Indian border to enable visa-free travel for pilgrims.

“Malik’s name was removed from the Black List of those Khalistans who were barred from getting visa due to their anti-India activities. Malik was courted by the Indian government and he responded suitably,” an Indian official who requested anonymity told The Federal.

Malik-Nijjar feud

Before he was killed on July 14, 2022, Malik, based in Surrey, Canada, had a running feud with Nijjar. In October, 2018, Nijjar was appointed president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey. Malik had a commercial printing press where he printed the Guru Granth Sahib. But, in November 2020, Nijjar managed to capture the machine, say Indian officials.

Canadian records say Malik handed over the press to Nijjar for ‘safekeeping’. Later, he asked for the return of the press but Nijjar refused to give it back. After Malik’s murder in February this year, his lawyer son filed a lawsuit in court to seek the return of the printing press.

“During our regular meetings, we told the Canadian officials many times to look at the role of Nijjar in the killing of Malik, whom he openly called a traitor, but it was never probed,” said an Indian official. “It baffled us why Canadian officials were turning a blind eye to the enmity between Malik and Nijjar. Niijar was a rabid Khalistani and Malik had made peace with India,” the official added.

Canadian conduct

Over the years, Nijjar had over a dozen criminal cases of murder and other anti-India activities registered by India's National Investigation Agency and Punjab police.

“The details of cases were shared with the Canadian authorities but no action was taken. An Interpol warrant was issued against Nijjar but that too was not paid attention to except that Nijjar was put on a no-fly list by Canada,” added the official.

Adding to his criminal history, Nijjar was operating in tandem with various other law-breakers, said Indian officials.

Links with Arshdeep Gill

In the last few years, Nijar had mixed up with gangster Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dala, originally from Jagraon in Punjab but who later fled to Canada. Like Nijjar earlier, Gill was designated a terrorist by India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in January this year.

Gill started as a gangster involved in cross-border smuggling of drugs, ran extortion rackets and committed targeted killings before escaping from India. Nijjar had arranged for shelter for Gill in Canada after he reached there.

“We suspect Nijjar was using Arsh Dala (Gill) to finish off or threaten his rivals in Khalistan politics in Canada. Both of them were together in planning terror activities in India as well,” said the Indian official.