Days after the RCMP dropped bombshell claims that Indian government officials were involved in violent crimes in Canada, a senior Mounties official says the criminal network is “unprecedented” but poses no immediate threat to the public. said.
On October 14, the RCMP held a surprise press conference in which they publicly claimed that Indian government agents were involved in “widespread” acts of violence in Canada, including murder.
In an interview that aired on CBC on Sunday. rosemary burton liveRCMP Deputy Commissioner Brigitte Gauvin said there was “no imminent threat” behind the announcement and that the RCMP had been “planning this aggressive approach for some time.”
Gauvin told host Rosemary Burton that “a lot of effort…was done” before the RCMP released the charges, including providing evidence to Indian law enforcement and meeting with senior Canadian and Indian government officials. “It was,” he said.
“However, those attempts failed,” Gauvin said, adding that Indian media had been reporting “falsely” on the issue and that the RCMP wanted to “correct the record.”
The allegations weakened already strained relations between Canada and India. Tensions escalated last year when Prime Minister Trudeau announced in the House of Commons that Canada had evidence linking Indian agents to the murder of Canadian Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. New Delhi denied the allegations.
Asked whether he was surprised by the size of the criminal network and its ties to the Indian government, Mr. Gauvin said he was.
“This is a completely unusual and outrageous situation and unprecedented here in Canada,” she said.
RCMP say they have obtained evidence linking Indian government officials in Canada to violent crimes including blackmail, extortion and the murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The revelations are expected to further deteriorate relations between India and Canada following mutual expulsions of diplomats.
Gauvin said at a news conference Monday that eight people have been charged with murder and 22 people have been charged with extortion in Canada in connection with the investigation.
Mounties also said they had warned 13 Canadians since September 2023 that they could be subject to harassment and intimidation by Indian agents. Gauvin said Monday that some of these individuals have received multiple threats.
The Indian government categorically denies the allegations and insists that Canada has not provided any evidence to support the allegations.
Mr. Gauvin was asked by Mr. Burton whether the report led to some people allegedly connected to the network fleeing Canada.
“The goal here is to stop the threat and disrupt the network,” Gauvin replied.
“Any kind of disruption is a positive for us, as long as it is consistent with our objectives of deterring violence and ensuring the protection of Canadians and individuals residing in Canada.”
In retaliation for the RCMP’s claims, Canada and India each expelled six diplomats.
The RCMP announced Monday that it had attempted to interrogate six Indian diplomats, six of whom Canada had expelled.
‘Feeling accepted,’ says BC Sikh
Gurkeerat Singh is the spokesperson for the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia, where the temple’s former abbot, Nijjar, was shot to death last year in a car in the temple’s crowded parking lot.
Singh told CBC host Katherine Cullen. the housesaid his reaction after the RCMP held a press conference was “a sense of vindication.”
“People felt like we’ve been saying this for the last 40 years,” Singh said.
Singh also said she still fears police will knock on her door to warn her about threats to her safety.
“The threat was always there,” he said. “But knowing that there is a clear upward trend; [the] The Indian government is involved. ”
Six Indian diplomats were expelled from Canada, but Singh said “this does not change India’s policy.”
He and Sikh guru Nanak Gurdwara are calling for the closure of Indian embassies in Vancouver and Toronto. They argue that Sikhs in Canada will not be safe unless the consulate is closed.
Asked whether such closures would put Indian-Canadians at a disadvantage by affecting their access to visas, Singh said the consulate is “not serving its intended purpose.”
“Diplomats use these locations to gather intelligence information that could jeopardize the safety of Canadians,” he said.
Gauvin said the RCMP encourages the public to report instances of cross-border oppression, intimidation and intimidation, even if they are witnesses.
“Any type of information will aid our investigation and efforts to stop this threat activity,” she said.
