After US indicts Lawrence Bishnoi: Apology is in order, says former envoy named in Nijjar case

6 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 16, 2026 05:39 AM IST

Former Indian envoy to Canada Sanjay Verma. (File Photo)

Days after US authorities indicted gangster Lawrence Bishnoi for allegedly ordering the killing in 2023 of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, former Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma, who was among those targeted by Ottawa in the case at the time, says “an apology is in order” now.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Verma, who was named among “persons of interest” in the Nijjar killing and declared persona non-grata by Canada, also said that the then Canadian PM Justin Trudeau could have waited till investigations were over before pointing a finger at Indian officials in 2024.

Verma, who was subsequently recalled by India triggering a dip in bilateral ties, said: “Probably, the statement (by Trudeau in the Canadian parliament) should have waited for the investigation to be completed so that it would have been based on some kind of due process. And that is what a mature statesman should do. Probably the advisors let the former Prime Minister down and he was ready to announce something for which there was no credible evidence, no credible end of the investigation. Some more time should have been given before putting out such allegations against a friendly country.”

Asked whether there was any communication from Canada over the past three years with Indian officials named in the case, including him, Verma said there has been no contact personally even though he “would love to have that kind of communication”.

“Because it did not only destroy the relationship, it also affected the families of all the diplomats and officials who were asked to leave Canada. And the government of India was kind enough to call us back. All of us have suffered and we know that our prestige can never be restored, the way in which it has been maligned. But at least an apology is in order,” said Verma, who retired earlier this year after 37 years in service.

Last week, the US Department of Justice indicted Bishnoi, who is in a Gujarat jail, for ordering Nijjar’s killing after a coordinated action by law enforcement from the US, Canada and Europe led to the arrest of 24 people connected to three Indian crime syndicates.

Verma said multi-nation agencies had identified non-state actors behind the killing, and the indictment did not name the Indian government, its officials or diplomats, which was in line with India’s stance on the incident.

Story continues below this ad

“They (the multi-nation investigating agencies) have identified non-state actors and clearly said which criminal gang has operated where and how and who are its members… So it is not just wild allegations against someone,” the former envoy said.

“The investigation is very clear that the indictment which has been presented now in the public does not include the state of India, the government of India, Indian officials, or diplomats. So, therefore, the allegation part of it which used to be peddled earlier is no more valid post this indictment. Now, we should allow the investigation to move ahead, and the judicial process to take its course,” he said.

Following the US indictment, with Canada saying there was no evidence of an Indian government link in the Nijjar killing, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland told CBC News: “There is no evidence to suggest that through this organised crime syndicate investigation and the charges laid forward that Indian government officials would be charged or involved in this… nothing has come out to link the Indian government.”

Responding to queries from The Indian Express on the subject, the RCMP said that while no charges have been laid against an Indian official in the transnational organised crime case, the Nijjar homicide remains “the subject of a separate investigation”.

Story continues below this ad

In May 2024, the RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) had arrested four men in connection with the case. “They have each been charged with First Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder. Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, Karanpreet Singh,28 and Amandeep Singh, 22 are currently facing those charges in BC Supreme Court. Those proceedings are ongoing,” said Jessica Kingsbury, Deputy Director, Media Relations, National Communications and Public Affairs, RCMP.

Asked about Deputy Commissioner Moreland’s latest comments, Kingsbury said: “As noted by the RCMP, we can only stick with the facts at hand for this investigation as the matter is ongoing. To date, as noted by the FBI and the RCMP, no charges have been laid against a government official from India in this transnational organised crime file.”

She said: “The homicide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar remains the subject of a separate investigation led by the RCMP Integrated Homicide Investigative Team (IHIT). As that investigation and related court proceedings are ongoing, the RCMP will not comment further at this time.”

Asked about the Canadian response, Verma said he would club the two investigations together. “There was a murder in Canada of a Canadian citizen. So, they had launched an investigation. There have been arrests, and trial is yet to begin. It has led to the arrest of four Indian nationals who used to be international students in Canada,” he said.

Story continues below this ad

“The larger indictment which has come out from the US, where Canada was a partner as well, there the name has been clearly mentioned of the person who was killed in Surrey (as HNS or Hardeep Singh Nijjar). And then it says that they do not have anything to show that the Indian government, the state or officials or diplomats were involved in any way,” he said.

“And that was spoken both in the indictment, also by the deputy commissioner of RCMP in a TV interview. So, I would put the two together,” the former envoy said.

“Even as they say that the investigation is on, but what has come in the (US) indictment clearly says that Canada was a partner in investigations. It very clearly says that the government of India, its officials or diplomats have no hands in this case,” Verma said.

“When I put them together, I would say what we have been saying from day one — it is not the policy of the government of India to interfere in the internal affairs of any other country,” he said.

Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More

Tags:

Lawrence Bishnoi