Explainer: Why India thinks Canada’s Nijjar probe is tainted

Canada’s investigation into the murder of a Sikh extremist has been tainted by a high-level Canadian official’s public statements, India’s High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma has said as he asked Ottawa to provide evidence to back up its allegations.
An interview
In an interview with the Globe and Mail newspaper, Verma on Friday said that there “is no specific or relevant information provided in this case for us to assist them in the investigation.”
“Where is the evidence? Where is the conclusion of the investigation? I would go a step further and say now the investigation has already been tainted,” Verma was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
A cryptic message
“A direction has come from someone at a high level to say India or Indian agents are behind it,” he said, without naming anyone.
Timing
The comments come at a time when India-Canada relations are evidently witnessing some progress. India decided to resume visa services in Canada for four categories from October 26 after a considered review of the security situation.
In September, India had suspended its visa services in Canada amid a diplomatic dispute triggered by remarks of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who alleged that there was a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June – which India rejected as “absurd and motivated”.