The flags of India and Canada. For representational purposes.
Credit: iStock Photo
Amid an escalating diplomatic standoff between India and Canada over New Delhi's alleged involvement in the murder of Khalistani separatist and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has hit back, naming a member of the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) to a list of fugitives it wants deported from the North American country.
According to a report by Times Now, India has shared a list of seven fugitives who are believed to be operating in India.
The seven, which includes high-profile names such as Goldy Brar and Nijjar's aide Arshdeep Singh Gill, are said to be involved in various acts of violence and terror-related crimes in India.
Among them is one Sandeep Singh Sandhu.
A member of the banned International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), Sandhu is reportedly employed by the CBSA.
Accused of promoting terror activities in Punjab, Sandhu was also reportedly in touch with Pakistan-based Khalistani separatist Lakhbir Singh Rode and other members of Islamabad's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The current CBSA employee is also accused of having executed the murder of Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who fought militancy in Punjab in the 1980s.
Comrade Sandhu was shot dead at his home in 2020 by two unidentified assailants and while the case seemed to have gone cold, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently claimed before the Supreme Court that the perpetrators had their base of operations in Canada.
"During investigations, it has emerged that the murder of Comrade Sandhu was conspired by Sunny Toronto, resident of Canada (operative of proscribed organisation KLF), and Lakhbir Singh Rode (self-styled chief of KLF) in order to eliminate the anti-Khalistani entities in India," the NIA said in its submission.
It now appears that Rode and Sunny were aided by Sandhu—a copy of the list of criminals shared by New Delhi accessed by Times Now seems to confirm that Sandhu, too, is an accused in the Shaurya Chakra Awardee's murder. Further, the report claims that Sandhu, despite his criminal past, also received a recent promotion to the post of Superintendent within the CBSA.
While the list is understood to have been shared with Ottawa days ago, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) recently alleged that Canada had not taken any action against anti-India elements flagged by New Delhi.
With ties deteriorating fast, the lack of action by Canada against anti-India elements (and even their recruitment into state services) could become a sore point of contention in the days to come.