The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has issued a warning to Hardeep Malik, the son of Ripudaman Singh Malik who was acquitted in connection with Air India Bombing of 1985. Hardeep Malik, who is a Surrey based businessman recived an official letter cautioning him about potential threats to his life. This comes amid the murder of Ripudaman Singh Malik in 2022, for which two individuals have been charged, a Canadian news agency has reported.
The warning issued to Hardeep Singh Malik falls under the Duty to Warn Protocol, a measure taken by authorities in British Columbia to alert individuals when their safety is at risk. The RCMP underscored that the threat must be considered likely to materialise. Hardeep Singh Malik is not the only one to have recived such warnings. Others associated with the Khalistani terrorists and organisations have also been cautioned.
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, the Canada based media report claims that the RCMP are exploring the possibility of Indian government’s involvement in the Ripudaman Singh Malik’s assassination similar to the alleged death of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the previous year. The Canadian media report claims that these developments lend credence to the suspicion that the Indian governments alleged targeting of Sikh figures in Canada did not begin with Nijjar’s death, a claim rejected by India several times.
External Affairs Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar has time and again denied receiving any evidence implicating Indian nationals’ involvement in the killing of India designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar who was a designated terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a gurudwara in Surrey in the month of June 2023. The attack was described as highly coordinated and involved six men and two vehicles.
Notably, the Canadian police have not given any evidence of any link with to India which was speculated by Canadian media, Nijjar’s killing triggered diplomatic tensions between India and Canada after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau alleged India’s hand in the killing, a claim New Delhi has rejected calling it absurd and motivated. Earlier in the aftermath of Ripudaman Singh’s assassinations, the RCMP has issued warning to other Sikh Canadian leaders which shows broader pattern of potential threats.
While connections between Ripudaman Singh and Nijjar murder cases are being investigated conclusive evidence remains elusive leaving the investigation ongoing. Earlier this week, the MEA reiterated that Canada has not provided any specific evidence or relevant information in Hardeep Singh Nijjar case and that no formal communications has been provided to India over the arrests of three Indians allegedly involved in the matter.
No specific or relevant evidence has been given to us in this matter. Canada has informed us about the arrest, but we have not recived any formal communication, the MEA spokesperson said on the arrest of three Indian nationals in Nijjar’s killing in Canada.
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