During his visit to India, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has cast doubt on the purported Indian connection to the killing of Canada-based Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Peters, who is also the Foreign Minister, raised concerns over the lack of concrete evidence supporting the allegations.

Peters, a member of the Five-Eyes intelligence alliance, highlighted the ambiguity surrounding the information received, presumably through Five-Eyes channels. He emphasized the absence of conclusive evidence implicating India in Nijjar’s death, stating, “As a trained lawyer, I look okay, so where’s the case? Where’s the evidence? Where’s the finding right here, right now? Well, there isn’t one.”

This stance marks the first instance where a Five-Eyes partner has openly contested Canada’s assertions regarding the Nijjar case. Relations between India and Canada have been strained since Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly suggested Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing last September.

India has consistently maintained a collaborative approach and urged Canada to provide solid proof to substantiate its claims. The Ministry of External Affairs highlighted warm bilateral relations between India and New Zealand based on shared democratic values and people-to-people ties.