Global News has learned that agents working at the Indian High Commission in Ottawa and the consulates in Vancouver and Toronto are behind dozens of violent crimes across Canada targeting opponents of the Modi government.
Although on paper they held diplomatic and consular positions, Indian agents played a key role in a wave of shootings, killings, threats, arson and extortion in Canada, according to senior sources familiar with the matter.
The victims were mainly supporters of the so-called Khalistan movement seeking independence for the Indian region of Punjab, where Sikhs dominate. But others were simply rivals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, sources said.
The Canadian government announced Monday it had expelled six Indian diplomats and consular officials “in connection with a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens conducted by agents linked to the Government of India.”
To insulate themselves from involvement in the operation, Indian diplomats used coercion and sometimes cash payments to persuade community members to gather information about their targets in Canada.
The collected photos and intelligence information were passed on to their handlers at Indian diplomatic missions in Canada. Organized crime groups, especially the Indian Lawrence Bishno Gang, were then tasked with carrying out the violence.
Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma allegedly oversaw this program. Another diplomat from Ottawa was allegedly involved, as well as two consular officials in Toronto and two in Vancouver.
A common scenario is that the embassy or consulates withhold visas for community members in Canada who need to travel to India. Victims are told they can get a visa but have to work for it by performing tasks for diplomats.
These tasks include attending Sikh temples and collecting information about when people leave home for work each morning.
The incidents that police have linked to the Indian government's program include everything from the 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., to the recent shooting on Vancouver Island in which 14 bullets were fired into the home of a Punjabi singer.
Over the weekend, the RCMP notified India that its diplomats were persons of interest in the investigations and asked New Delhi to waive diplomatic immunity to allow them to be interviewed.
India responded by releasing a statement on Monday accusing Prime Minister Justice Trudeau of playing politics.
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Hours later at a news conference in Ottawa, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme told reporters that investigators had linked Indian government agents to “serious criminal activity in Canada” that posed a “serious threat to public safety.”
“The investigation revealed that Indian diplomats and consular officials based in Canada used their official positions to engage in clandestine activities, such as gathering information for the Government of India, either directly or through their proxies; and others who acted voluntarily or under duress,” Duheme said.
“The evidence also shows that Indian government agents used a variety of entities in Canada and abroad to gather information. Some of these people and companies were forced and intimidated to work for the Indian government,” he said.
“The information collected for the Indian government is then used to target members of the South Asian community.”
It is not unusual for a country to assign intelligence agents to an embassy or consulate under diplomatic cover. However, it would be unusual for them to be involved in crimes in the host country.
It is also illegal, but before the alleged agents could be charged, Ottawa would have to make sure they were not protected by the immunity afforded to foreign diplomats and consular officials.
In this case, Canada appears to have chosen not to pursue criminal proceedings and instead treat the matter as a diplomatic incident.
The Canadian government could also ask India to hold the suspects accountable or refer the case to the International Court of Justice for conducting criminal activities in violation of international law and Canadian sovereignty.
The allegations point to a strategy by the Indian government to target prominent members of the international Khalistan movement, but also those who provided only marginal support, as well as others whom the Modi government was wary of.
India has repeatedly denied the allegations and on Monday called allegations about the involvement of its high commissioner and other diplomats “ludicrous.”
However, the RCMP commissioner said a multidisciplinary team was formed in February 2024 to investigate and coordinate the threats posed by the program and the crimes it was associated with.
“The team has obtained a significant amount of information about the scope and depth of criminal activity organized by agents of the Government of India and the resulting threats to the safety of Canadians and people living in Canada,” he said.
“Despite law enforcement actions, the damage continues, posing a serious threat to our public safety. “We have reached a point where we feel it is necessary to confront the Government of India and inform the public of some very serious findings that we have uncovered as a result of our investigations.”
“The RCMP hopes to address these threats through our relationship with the Government of India and the National Investigation Agency, with the ultimate goal of strengthening the security of Canadian society and the South Asian community.”
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
