Bharat’s High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said the Indian Government
is cooperating with an American investigation into alleged thwarted
assassination attempt and not Canada’s probe into the killing of Khalistani
terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia’s Surrey due to a disparity
between the information both nations shared in their investigation.
Speaking to CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, Sanjay Kumar Verma
said his understanding is that US authorities have shared more specific
information regarding the investigation with India than Canada has and that he
stressed is likely the differentiating factor in the level of India’s
cooperation in both cases.
Recently, UK-based Financial Times published a report claiming that the
US thwarted a plan to allegedly assassinate India-designated terrorist
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.
As per the Financial Times which quoted people familiar with the
matter, US had informed India of concerns regarding the alleged plot to kill
Pannun.
Earlier in September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made
allegations regarding India’s involvement in Nijjar’s killing. India has
rejected the allegations and called them “absurd” and politically motivated.”
Verma said India was “absolutely” and “decidedly” not involved in the
homicide, terming it a “motivated and absurd allegation.” The allegations
caused diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
The Indian envoy said his understanding is that Indian authorities are
cooperating in the American investigation as they have been presented with “inputs
which are legally presentable.”
“One is that the investigation in the case of US, as far as I know and
understand, because again, I don’t oversee India-US relations is at a much-advanced
stage. And therefore, I presume that there would be better information shared
within India,” he told CTV News.
“Those inputs are a nexus between gangsters, drug peddlers, terrorists,
and gun runners in the US, and there is a belief that some of the Indian
connections – now when I say Indian connections, I don’t mean Government of
India connections, there’s 1.4 billion people. Because we have got inputs,
which are legally presentable,” he said.
Speaking about Canada’s inputs related to Nijjar’s killing, he said Indian
authorities will not be able to respond on the case as conversations could have
some facts of the case. However, allegations and facts do not make it specific
and relevant.
Asked whether Canada’s national security advisor shared inputs related to
allegations related to Nijjar’s killing, he said, “Until the time it is not
specific or relevant to the case, we will not be able to respond to it. There
could be a lot of conversation. Conversations could have allegations,
conversations could have some facts of the case, but allegations and facts do
not make it specific and relevant.”
“So, we need to have those facts. And we are always ready to do that. If
you look at the most recent incident to where there are some allegations put
out in one of the newspapers against India, US did provide us inputs. And we
have already started following up on that,” he told CTV News.
Verma stressed that conversations between India and Canada did take place
during Canada’s National Security Adviser’s visit to India. However, he added
that India needed specific information to seek permission from legal
authorities to conduct an investigation.
Asked whether Canada’s National Security Advisor did not share any
specific allegation, Sanjay Kumar Verma said, “So conversations took place. But
we needed something specific and relevant to go back to our legal authorities
to seek permission to do investigation that we would have wanted to do. So
until the time that those kinds of inputs are not there, in a country of rule
of law, it will not be possible for us to move forward on the investigations.”
Revealing details regarding the inputs shared by US with India, Verma
said these inputs are regarding a nexus between gangsters, drug peddlers,
terrorists and gun runners in US and there are beliefs that there are some
Indian connections with it, which he stressed were not government of India
connections.
“Those inputs are a nexus between gangsters, drug peddlers, terrorists,
and gun runners in US, and there is a belief that some of the Indian
connections – now when I say Indian connections, I don’t mean the government of
India connections, there is 1.4 billion people, so some of the Indian
connections are there – they are ready to investigate. Because we have got
inputs, which are legally presentable,” said Verma.
On November 22, the External Affairs Ministry said US side shared some
inputs pertaining to the nexus between organized criminals, gun runners,
terrorists and others during the course of recent discussions on India-US
security cooperation and issues in the context are already being examined by
relevant departments.
Responding to media queries on reports of discussions between India and US
on security matters, the MEA said India takes such inputs seriously since it
impinges on its own security interests as well.
He said the inputs are the cause of concern for both countries and
necessary follow-up action is being taken.
ANI
