New Delhi: India has identified a Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) official as a fugitive terrorist and sought his deportation in a fresh flare-up in tensions between the two countries which have been engaged in a bitter diplomatic row over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Sandeep Singh Sidhu has been listed among the fugitive terrorists by India. He is wanted for promoting terrorist activities in Punjab and for having links with Pakistan’s ISI operatives and Khalistani outfits and terrorists such as Lakhbir Singh Rode.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police went public, claiming Indian diplomats in Canada were sharing information about Sikh separatists with their government. According to the claims, high-ranking Indian officials were then passing this intelligence to organized crime groups in India, who were allegedly targeting the activists—Canadian citizens—through drive-by shootings, extortion, and even murder.
India has dismissed these accusations as baseless, with its foreign ministry responding by expelling Canada’s acting high commissioner and five other diplomats.
Who is Sandeep Singh Sidhu
Reports suggest that Sandeep Singh Sidhu, an employee of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and a member of the banned International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), is accused of promoting terrorist activities in Punjab.
Sidhu allegedly had connections with Pakistan-based Khalistan terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode and other ISI operatives, and is believed to have been involved in the 2020 assassination of Balwinder Singh Sandhu.
Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a Shaurya Chakra awardee, became a symbol of resistance for his fight against Khalistani militants during Punjab’s insurgency. He also opposed Khalistan referendums led by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) in the US and Canada.
Sandeep Singh Sidhu, who had been promoted to superintendent at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), is now implicated in a major investigation, Times Now reported.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) alleges that Canada-based Khalistani operatives, including Sunny Toronto and Pakistan-sheltered terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode, orchestrated the assassination of Balwinder Singh Sandhu. It remains unclear whether “Sunny Toronto” is an alias for Sidhu.
This revelation comes just days after Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, highlighted in a press briefing that at least 26 extradition requests submitted by India over the past decade remain pending with Canadian authorities.
