Aakhir Tak – In Shorts
- India sought the extradition of Lawrence Bishnoi gang members years ago but received no response from Canada.
- MEA spokesperson stated that similar requests were made recently, but Canada did not reply.
- Canadian PM Trudeau linked Bishnoi to the Nijjar murder case, but India called Canada’s claims “evidence-free.”
Aakhir Tak – In Depth
Diplomatic tensions between Canada and India are intensifying. India had requested the extradition of Lawrence Bishnoi gang members from Canada several years ago, but Canada has yet to respond. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal provided this information during a press briefing on Thursday. He noted that similar extradition requests were made recently, but Canada still did not offer a reply.
India named Gurjit Singh, Gurjinder Singh, Arshdeep Singh Gill, Lakhbir Singh Landa, and Gurpreet Singh for extradition, citing their connection to the Bishnoi gang. “We informed Canada about the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and its syndicates some years ago, and requested their arrest and extradition. However, there has been no response from Canada,” said the MEA spokesperson.
During the briefing, he reiterated that Canada has not shared any evidence regarding the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He stated, “Since September 2023, the Canadian government has not provided us with any shred of information on this matter.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently alleged that Indian diplomats were gathering intelligence on Canadians and passing it to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Trudeau made these statements during testimony at Canada’s foreign interference inquiry. However, he also admitted that his government only provided India with “intelligence and no proof” regarding the Nijjar killing.
India-Canada diplomatic relations hit a new low earlier this week when Canada named top Indian diplomats in Ottawa as ‘persons of interest’ in its investigation into Nijjar’s murder. India rejected Canada’s position and recalled six of its top diplomats, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma. Canada then expelled six Indian diplomats, leading India to reciprocate.
