8 Sikh Youths Held in Canada for Possessing Firearms as Canada Move out Diplomats from India
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 6: Amidst worsening diplomatic relations between India and Canada, the Canadian police claimed to have apprehended eight Sikh youths for possessing arms even as Canada moved out a majority of its diplomats from New Delhi in keeping with India’s deadline.
Official sources said on Friday that Canada has moved out a majority of its diplomats working in India outside of New Delhi to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore after it gave Ottawa an October 10 deadline to reduce its diplomatic staff to achieve parity in strength following a row over the killing of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The Canadian police said they have apprehended around eight Sikh youths aged between 19 to 26 years in relation to possession of loaded, prohibited or restricted firearms in Brampton city in Ontario province. According to the Peel Regional Police, on the night of October 2, it received reports of shots fired in the area of Donald Stewart Road and Brisdale Drive in Brampton.
“With the assistance of the Tactical Unit, eight individuals were extracted from the residence and arrested,” a press release from Peel Regional Police said. The police confirmed that no one suffered injuries.
Canada-based media reports said “A majority of the Canadian diplomats working in India outside of New Delhi have been evacuated to either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.” This was after India earlier this week asked Canada to withdraw several dozen diplomats from its missions amid the escalating diplomatic row that erupted following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegation linking Indian agents to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar in June.
India rejected the allegations as “absurd” and “motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official over the case.
The Indian government has given Ottawa until October 10 to reduce Canadian diplomatic staff in that country to a level on par with the number of Indian diplomats in Canada. Earlier reports pegged the number of diplomats that would have to leave at 41, but media reports said the ask was specific to one of parity.
Global Affairs Canada, the department that manages the country’s diplomatic and consular relations, had previously stated that “with some diplomats having received threats on various social media platforms,” it was “assessing its staff complement in India.” “As a result, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to temporarily adjust staff presence in India,” the department said, just days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in the murder.
India on Thursday asserted that Canada must reduce its diplomatic presence in the country to achieve parity in strength and alleged that some of the Canadian diplomats are involved in interfering in New Delhi’s internal matters, signalling a continuing slide in the ties between the two nations over the killing of ‘Khalistani’ terrorist Nijjar.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi discussions on the modalities to arrive at mutual diplomatic presence were going on and gave a clear indication that India would not review its position on the issue.
He said as Canadian diplomatic presence in India was much higher compared to India’s strength in Canada, it was assumed that there would be a reduction. “Our focus is on ensuring parity in diplomatic strength,” he said.
The spokesperson, however, did not reply to questions on reports that October 10 is the deadline set by New Delhi for Ottawa to reduce the number of its diplomats in India. “I would not like to get into the details of diplomatic conversation,” he said.
It is learnt that the number of Canadian diplomats in India is around 60 and New Delhi wants Ottawa to reduce the strength by at least three dozen.
Asked whether Canada has shared with India any information or evidence relating to Nijjar’s killing, Bagchi referred to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent remarks that if any specific or relevant information was shared with New Delhi, it was open to looking at it.
The Canadian police said a day after the arrest of eight Sikh youths, officers of the Criminal Investigation Bureau executed a Criminal Code Search Warrant and a 9mm Beretta firearm was seized.
Those who are charged with possession of a “Loaded Prohibited or Restricted Firearm” include Jagdeep Singh (22), Ekamjot Randhawa (19), Manjinder Singh (26), Harpreet Singh (23), Ripanjot Singh (22), Japandeep Singh (22), Lovepreet Singh (26) – all from Brampton, while 21-year-old Rajanpreet Singh has been charged with careless storage of a firearm, weapon, prohibited device or ammunition in addition to the possession of loaded, prohibited, or restricted firearm.
