A fresh dispute is likely to erupt between India and Canada over Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In fact, India’s investigative agency NIA has been requesting Nijar’s death certificate for a long time, but Canada has not yet provided it.
India declares Hardeep Singh Nijjar a terrorist. On June 18 last year, Nijar was shot and killed outside a monastery in Surrey, British Columbia. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian agents were involved in the murder. India completely denies these accusations.
Nijjar holds Canadian citizenship and India declared him a terrorist in 2020. Nijjar is also the leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Apart from this, he was also close to Khalistani terrorist Gulpatwant Singh Pannu.
Why does the NIA need a death certificate?
The NIA, which is investigating Nijjar’s case, has been seeking his death certificate from the Canadian government for nearly six months.
The Indian Express quoted an official as saying that two cases against Nijar were being investigated and his death certificate was needed to complete the paperwork. Once the paperwork is completed, it will be submitted to a Delhi court.
Why is Canada hesitant?
The NIA has requested Nijjar’s death certificate from the Canadian government under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT). But Canada did not provide his death certificate and instead questioned the National Intelligence Service itself.
News agency ANI quoted NIA sources as saying that the Canadian government had asked the agency about the reason for requesting Nijar’s death certificate. The Canadian government has asked the National Intelligence Service to clarify why they want Nijar’s death certificate.
What is this MLAT?
India and Canada have had a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) for many years. How the extradition treaty between two countries works. MLAT is similar.
Under the treaty, each country can request the other to provide legal documents related to the other’s criminals, information related to investigations, evidence, their property, location and many other types of documents.
However, a country can also refuse if it believes that the provision of any information or documents may jeopardize its sovereignty, security or even the safety of that person. In addition to this, a State may refuse to provide any information or documents if it believes that the provision of any information or documents may affect its ongoing investigation or trial of the person.
Article 7 of the treaty provides that a country may send a copy of any document to another country. However, if any country wants its original copy, it must also be provided and can be requested to be returned.
Who is Hardeep Singh Nijar?
Nijar is the leader of the Khalistan Tigers. He was living in Canada for the past few years and was instigating Khalistan terrorism against India from there. Over the past year, Nijjar has become a bigger headache for Indian investigative agencies as he began providing logistics and funding to overseas operatives of Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang, intelligence sources said.
When Trudeau visited India in 2018. At that time, the then Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh submitted a list of Khalistani terrorists to him, and Nijar’s name was included in it.
In 2020, the federal interior ministry declared Nijjar a terrorist. In 2010, an FIR was registered against him during a bomb blast outside a temple in Patiala. Police want him on multiple counts, including inciting violence and promoting terrorist activities. The Indian government has declared Hardeep Singh Nijjar a designated terrorist. The NIA also announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh on him.
