India’s most wanted are living a carefree life in Canada, why is Trudeau’s country a safe haven for criminals?

Siddhartha, New Delhi: Relations between India and Canada are once again at a critical juncture. India is unhappy with the support and shelter given to Khalistani terrorists. India says that Canada is reluctant to extradite fugitives to India even in cases like fraud, assault and rape. According to government sources, this policy of Canada is making it a safe haven for India’s wanted criminals.Canada’s reluctance on most wanted criminals
India alleges that Canada has refrained from taking action against Khalistani supporters citing freedom of expression and legal process. India claims that it has provided Canada with sufficient evidence of crimes committed by these terrorists, but no action has been taken. Indian sources cited several cases where Canada has ignored extradition requests. No action has been taken in cases like Gurcharan Singh, accused of fraud in 2003, Omkar Mal Agarwal, wanted since 2016, and Jaswinder Pal Singh Walia, accused of gang rape in 2022.

Procrastination instead of action
India says it has repeatedly asked Canada to conduct background checks on those who enter the country illegally and later seek asylum, but its request has been ignored. India has warned that the policy of openly harboring criminals is dangerous as those who have benefited from crime will carry on their black business in their new home also. In case of terrorists and criminals, India has shared information like call details and whereabouts of the suspects. India has suggested that action could be taken under Canadian laws, but complained that it is always deferred.

What is Canada saying?
Canada says that the documents provided by India do not meet their legal standards. India argues that Canada has taken strict action against ISIS operatives and their family members, so the argument of higher standards and legal process is merely an excuse. India believes that Canada is harboring terrorists in the form of dissidents facing trial for political reasons. A senior source said, ‘Indifference and resistance to our requests has persisted since 2003.’

Always gives shelter to Khalistani terrorists
After years of informal exchange of information and intelligence, India and Canada created a formal arrangement between the NIA and the RCMP. However, this too has not made any significant progress. Even in the 1980s, when terrorism was at its peak in Punjab, Canada had given shelter to Khalistani terrorists. Even during the reign of then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who is the father of current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada had given shelter to terrorists involved in several assassinations and bombings, including the Kanishka aircraft bombing.

In recent years, Sikh militants have made Canada the center of their activities. India has repeatedly expressed its concerns and shared evidence, including on their relations with Pakistan. But India has not had much success. A matter of concern for India is that Canada has appointed many Khalistani terrorists to official positions. Some of these terrorists are facing serious charges.