Haven't received anything worthy of being probed by Indian agencies: Jaishankar on Nijjar case

External affairs minister S Jaishankar said New Delhi will investigate if there is any evidence which Ottawa has or any specific information worth probing.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on May 13 said that India never received anything worthy of being pursued by investigating agencies in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. His comments come after Canadian police on May 12 arrested a fourth Indian in connection with the case.

If there is any evidence which Ottawa has or any specific information worth probing, he said, New Delhi is open to investigate.

"We have never received anything which is specific and worthy of being pursued by our investigative agencies and I am not aware that anything has changed in the last few days in that regard," the minister said in response to a question during a press conference in Mumbai.

Nijjar was killed outside Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18, 2023. Canadian authorities arrested Amandeep Singh a week after three Indians were held in the high-profile case that has severely strained India's relations with Canada.

According to officials, Singh (22), a resident of Brampton, Surrey, and Abbotsford areas of Canada, has been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as per officials.

"This arrest shows the nature of our ongoing investigation to hold responsible those that played a role in the homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar," said Superintendent Mandeep Mooker, the officer in charge of Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT).

According to the police, "IHIT pursued the evidence and gained sufficient information for the British Columbia Prosecution Service to charge Amandeep Singh with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder".

As a consular practice, it is informed to the government or the embassy of the country of origin when arrests of foreign nationals are made, Jaishankar added.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in September 2023 of the potential involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has dismissed Trudeau's charges as 'absurd and motivated'.