India slams Canada for its 'inaction' on crimes, failure to extradite members of Lawrence Bishnoi gang

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday criticised Canada over its inaction on India's request to arrest members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and extradite them amid concerns about Ottawa's handling of criminals linked to organised crimes in the country. 

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal alleged Canada's reluctance in arresting the gang members involved in crimes. 

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"We had shared some requests with the Canadian side for the arrest of those from Lawrence Bishnoi's gang. They haven't taken any action on our core concerns,” said Jaiwal, adding that there is a political motive also behind it. 

Jaiswal also pointed out, “The people we asked to be deported...Canada cops are now claiming that these people are committing crimes in Canada, for which India is being blamed.”

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It is quite strange, he added.  

India's 26 extradition requests are pending for a decade or more.

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Retaliating Trudeau's remarks, the MEA said Canada hasn't shared any evidence with New Delhi proving the involvement of Indian agents' in the murder. 

"We have made our position very clear on this matter...You would have seen that several press releases have been issued in the last two days putting out our position, and are very clear that since September of 2023, the Canadian government has not shared any shred of information with us."

Canada has given serious allegations but has so far not given any evidence to back it up, he added.

India-Canada relations became strained after Trudeau alleged India's involvement in the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjat last year in British Columbia. 

Trudeau, testifying before the public inquiry into foreign interference, claimed on Wednesday that Indian diplomats had been collecting information on Canadians who are in disagreement with the Narendra Modi government and passing it to the Bishnoi gang.

The diplomatic tensions between both India and Canada further worsened after Trudeau communicated with India that its senior diplomats were "persons of interest" in the Nijjar murder case. 

In a strong worded statement India has refuted the allegations against the High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma. The charges against Verma are "preposterous imputations" and a "political agenda of the Trudeau government that is centred around vote bank politics."