'If they need us to co

OTTAWA — The High Commissioner of India to Canada says India “will take action” depending on the outcome of a court case involving four Indian nationals accused of murder in the killing of a prominent Sikh activist in British Columbia.

Dinesh Patnaik said both countries are on “same page” that “if there is any evidence we have, we will give it to the Canadian side,” when asked about the case.

“I have been saying from the very beginning, and I reiterated it right now, the case is in court. If the case comes out that there are some individuals, whether it is government, non-government, or individuals from India, who are involved in it, we will take action,” he told National Post in a wide-ranging interview.

The envoy’s comments come ahead of an anticipated trip to India by Prime Minister Mark Carney, as his government seeks to re-establish ties and diversity its trading relationships in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic threats.

Canada-India relations had plummeted after former prime minister Justin Trudeau announced to the House of Commons in September 2023 that the country’s security agencies were pursuing “credible allegations of a potential link” between Indian government agents and the shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh activist gunned down outside of a temple that June.

India had regarded Nijjar, an outspoken activist that advocated for the creation of a separate homeland for Sikhs within India, as a terrorist, but denied any involvement in his death.

In May 2024, the RCMP arrested and charged four Indian nationals with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in relation to Nijjar’s killing.

At the time Trudeau first revealed the allegations, India maintained that Canada did not provide evidence to back up allegations of its possible involvement, which Patnaik confirmed to National Post remains India’s position.

“We have discussed, but Canada doesn’t need to share evidence with us. There’s a court case going on, Canada needs to put the case in the court, that’s all,” he said.

However, he said that India was open to sharing evidence it may have.

“We both are on the same page in discussing, if there is any evidence we have, we will give it to the Canadian side…”

He later added: “If they need us to co-operate, we will. It’s a court investigation in Canada. If the Canadian side need any information, if the court directs Canadian side to ask for information, we (will) provide whatever we have.”

Canadian officials have previously cited a lack of co-operation from India into ongoing criminal investigations, but over the past year have expressed India’s willingness to collaborate.