On 18th September (local time), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of involvement in killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. Nijjar, who was Khalistan Tiger Force chief, was killed in June this year. Both Trudeau and Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called Nijjar a “Canadian citizen” in their statements.
Nijjar, a terrorist wanted by the Indian government, was shot dead in Surrey by two unidentified assailants on 18th June. The 46-year-old hailed from the village Bhar Singhpura of Jalandhar in Punjab.
However, Nijjar’s citizenship status in Canada is questionable. As per reports, Nijjar arrived in Canada in 1997 with a false identity. He arrived at Pearson Airport in 1997 using a fraudulent passport in the name of “Ravi Sharma”.
The Global News report suggests that Nijjar told immigration officials that his troubles began in 1990 during police crackdown on insurgency in the Indian state of Punjab. The Punjab Police arrested his brother and father during their crackdown on Khalistanis. Initially, his brother Jatinder was picked up by the police, and later, his father was also arrested. Nijjar claimed both of them were tortured.
In an affidavit, Nijjar told the immigration officials that he was picked by Punjab Police in 1995 and was tortured for the whereabouts of his brother and father. Nijjar further claimed he bribed police with Rs 50,000 and cut his hair to change his appearance. Till 1996, he stayed away from the public eye at a relative’s house in UP. When police reached the relative’s house, Nijjar was not there, and his uncle was arrested.
Nijjar claimed in the affidavit that he submitted to the immigration officials in June 1998 that his life was in grave danger in India. However, immigration officials did not believe him and said the letter submitted by Nijjar was fabricated. The information provided by a physician, who claimed to have treated Nijjar after his release from police custody, had spelling mistakes that raised a red flag. His immigration request was dismissed as unreliable, the report noted. The panel categorically said they did not believe Nijjar was ever arrested and tortured by the police.
In its report, Global News noted, “The misspelling of a body part, together with an account that refugee officials found implausible, led them to dismiss him as unreliable and untrustworthy.”
After getting rejected for asylum, Nijjar took a “plan B” path to get Canadian citizenship, and just eleven days after immigration officials refused his claims, he married a woman from British Columbia who sponsored him to immigrate as her spouse. In his application form, he refused to associate with any group that advocated “armed struggle or violence to reach political, religious or social objectives.” His application was, however, again rejected by the officials, saying it was a “marriage of convenience”. His supposed wife was sponsored by a “different” husband in 1997 when she arrived in Canada. Nijjar appealed in court against the decision but lost in 2001.
To prove his marriage with the British Columbian was genuine, he submitted a wedding invitation, photos and a picture of them cuddling in a chair. The Canadian officials were, however, not convinced that it was a genuine wedding. During the investigation, they found out that the woman had sponsored another man for immigration to Canada just a year before getting married to Nijjar. Calling it a “marriage of convenience”, the Canadian immigration officials rejected Nijjar’s application.
Nijjar approached the courts against the decision where his application was dismissed. Though he continued to identify himself as a Canadian citizen, it is unclear when and if he ever got citizenship in Canada.
