Hardeep Singh Nijja. (File Image)
British intelligence intercepts reportedly helped Canada draw links between India and the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, according to a new documentary released this week.
The Bloomberg Originals documentary, Inside the Deaths that Rocked India’s Relations with the West, claims that a UK intelligence agency — believed to be the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) — intercepted phone calls discussing three individuals, including Nijjar.
The information was allegedly passed to Canada under the ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence-sharing alliance between the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was designated a terrorist by India in 2020 for his involvement in Khalistani extremism.
According to the film, British intelligence shared the information with Canada in late July 2023, marking a “breakthrough” in the murder investigation. The file was reportedly hand-delivered to Ottawa, kept off electronic systems, and shown only to a small group of approved Canadian officials.
“The file was a summary of conversations intercepted by a British intelligence agency between individuals who analysts believe were working on behalf of the Indian government,” the documentary claims.
“They had discussed three potential targets: Nijjar, (Avtar Singh) Khanda and (Gurpatwant Singh) Pannun. Later, there was an exchange about how Nijjar had been successfully eliminated,” it alleges.
UK Sikh group seeks answers
The Sikh Federation UK said it has written to Security Minister Dan Jarvis asking why the government withheld the intelligence, especially information related to Khanda’s death. Khanda, a UK-based pro-Khalistan activist, died of blood cancer in June 2023, and authorities ruled there were “no suspicious circumstances”.
India dismisses charges, relations thaw
US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, also designated a terrorist by India, appears in the film under armed protection, claiming to fear for his life.
India has rejected Canada’s allegations as “absurd and motivated” and part of a “deliberate strategy to smear India.”
The issue triggered a diplomatic row after then–Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in 2023 that Indian agents were involved in Nijjar’s killing. Relations have since begun to improve under Prime Minister Mark Carney, with both nations restoring envoys earlier this year.
(With PTI inputs)
