Canada's top cop says no foreign interference linked to Indian government right now

Canada's national police chief, Mike Duheme, has said that there is no latest evidence that would link the involvement of the Indian government with foreign interference in Ottawa's affairs at this time. The big statement comes at a time when the two nations are focusing on resetting ties, which received a huge boost after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to New Delhi last month.

"In the files that we have that involve transnational repression, we’re not seeing any connection right now with any foreign entity, based on the criminal information, the investigations that we have presently," Duheme told television network CTV in an interview, when asked repeatedly if clandestine or transnational agents of India were still a concern on Canadian soil.

India and Canada's diplomatic relations took a downward swing and reached one of its worst after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He had said that Ottawa had "credible allegations" that Indian government agents were involved. Nijjar was labelled a terrorist in India. New Delhi, however, denied the accusations.

Soon after, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the High Commissioner, and India did the same in a tit-for-tat move.

Mike Duheme, however, dismissed any foreign interference any more. "I'm saying that based on the totality of the files that we have on foreign interference or transnational repression, what we have in our holdings is we have people that are intimidating people, harassing people, but connecting the dots to a foreign entity, regardless of the country, we don’t have that," he said.

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