Indian High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma on Saturday said that the Canadian investigation into the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar has been “tainted” by a high-level Canadian official’s public statements, reported ANI. He did not name the official.

“Where is the evidence?” asked Verma in an interview with The Globe and Mail. “Where is the conclusion of the investigation? I would go a step further and say now the investigation has already been tainted. A direction has come from someone at a high level to say India or Indian agents are behind it.”

On September 18, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament that Canadian intelligence agencies were actively pursuing “credible allegations” tying Indian agents to the assassination of Nijjar. He was killed by masked gunmen on June 18 in Surrey, outside Vancouver.

Nijjar was a strong supporter of Khalistan, an independent Sikh state sought by some groups. He was the head of the Khalistan Tiger Force, which is designated a terrorist outfit in India.

India had rejected Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd and motivated”. Later, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said he informed Canada that it was not its “policy“ to engage in such acts.

On Saturday, Verma told The Globe and Mail that India had not received any credible evidence from Canada or its allies to support the claims that Indian agents were involved in Nijjar’s killing.

“There is no specific or relevant information provided in this case for us to assist them in the investigation,” he added.

The high commissioner reiterated that India has no role in the Sikh leader’s death and stressed that conversations between diplomats are “protected and cannot be used as evidence” in court or publicly released.

“You are talking about illegal wiretaps and talking about evidence,” he said. “Conversations between two diplomats are secure by all international law. Show me how you captured these conversations. Show me that someone did not mimic the voice.”

Verma said that he had been granted Royal Canadian Mounted Police security protection due to threats to his safety.

On September 21, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the normal functioning of the Indian High Commission and consulates in Canada had been disrupted as the diplomatic staff faced security threats. He had also announced the suspension of visa services in Canada.

But from October 26, India resumed select visa services for Canadians.