Sanjay Kumar Verma, India's outgoing High Commissioner to Canada, has strongly refuted Ottawa's charges in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar case, asserting that Canada has provided no evidence to support its claims. In an exclusive interview with CTV News, Verma explicitly condemned Nijjar's killing, stating, "Any murder is wrong and bad. I do condemn it". However, he firmly denied any Indian involvement and criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for damaging bilateral relations based on unsubstantiated intelligence rather than concrete evidence.

Verma stated that Trudeau's decision to blame India was based on intelligence information, not hard evidence. "On the basis of intelligence, if you want to destroy a relationship, be my guest. And that's what he [Trudeau] did," Verma added. He also addressed Canada's allegations that Indian officials were coercing cooperation from South East Asians living in Canada, asserting that the process is entirely transparent.

Tensions between Canada and India escalated after Canada identified Verma and other Indian diplomats as "persons of interest" in the Nijjar investigation. In response, India expelled six Canadian diplomats after summoning Charge d'Affaires Stewart Wheeler. The Indian government condemned Canada's "baseless targeting" and expressed concerns about the safety of its diplomats. India also announced the withdrawal of High Commissioner Verma, asserting its right to take further action against what it perceives as Canadian support for extremism.

Verma stated that Canada has not shared a "shred of evidence" with India in the Nijjar case and that Ottawa's charges against Indian diplomats are "politically motivated". "We needed to see some evidence on the basis of which we can converse with our Canadian counterparts. Unfortunately, not a shred of evidence has been shared with us," Verma said. He added that any evidence shared has to be legally acceptable.

When asked if he had anything to do with Nijjar's killing, Verma responded, "Nothing at all. No evidence was presented [by Canada]. (This is) politically motivated". He also stated that India is "committed not to do extrajudicial killings on any territory".

Verma addressed claims that Indian diplomats were involved in gathering information on pro-Khalistan activists in Canada. He denied any covert activities, explaining that any information collected was done openly, such as reading media reports and social media posts. "We read the newspapers, we read their statements," he added. He stressed that India wants to know what pro-Khalistani elements in Canada are doing because it concerns India, which is trying to protect its territory.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) claimed to have evidence that six Indian diplomats were involved in the alleged plot to murder Nijjar. However, Verma stated that the RCMP had not applied for the proper visas to visit India to share evidence. "Visas needed to be affixed," he said. "For any government delegation to travel to another country, you need an agenda to go by. There was no agenda at all".

India has repeatedly criticized the Canadian government for being soft on supporters of the Khalistan movement, which is banned in India but has support among the Sikh diaspora in Canada. The Khalistan movement supports the establishment of an independent Sikh state in India.

Adding another layer to the controversy, a Canadian commission report stated that "no definitive link" to a "foreign state" has been "proven" in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This report casts doubt on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's earlier claims of India's involvement in the case. The report, titled 'Public Inquiry Into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions', suggested that India may have spread disinformation after Trudeau's announcement.