British spy intercepts helped shape Canada’s Nijjar probe, claims new documentary

British intelligence intercepts played a key role in helping Canadian authorities conclude there were alleged links between India and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June 2023, a new Bloomberg Originals documentary has claimed. The allegations, however, are not new to New Delhi, which has repeatedly rejected them as “absurd” and “politically motivated.”

The documentary, Inside the Deaths that Rocked India’s Relations with the West, alleges that a British intelligence agency — believed to be the UK’s GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) , the country’s signal intercept and surveillance agency — picked up calls that appeared to discuss three individuals as potential targets. According to the film, this information was shared with Canada under the highly secretive Five Eyes intelligence-sharing framework that includes the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Nijjar, declared a terrorist by India in 2020 for his pro-Khalistan activities, was allegedly one of the names flagged in the intelligence. The documentary claims that in July 2023, there was a “breakthrough” in Canada’s investigation when the UK acquired “relevant information” about conversations analysts believed involved individuals working on behalf of the Indian government.

The film says the intelligence was shared only under strict conditions: hand-delivered to Ottawa, kept entirely off electronic systems, and accessible only to a small circle of pre-authorised Canadian officials. The document reportedly contained summaries of intercepted conversations about Nijjar, UK-based activist Avtar Singh Khanda and US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. One of the clips allegedly mentions a follow-up conversation after Nijjar had been “successfully eliminated.”

Khanda, who died in a Birmingham hospital in June 2023 while suffering from terminal blood cancer, had earlier been the centre of speculation among pro-Khalistan groups. UK authorities, however, ruled that there were “no suspicious circumstances” surrounding his death.

Following the documentary’s release, Sikh Federation UK said it has written to British security minister Dan Jarvis, questioning why intelligence from July 2023 was not shared earlier when MPs raised concerns on behalf of Sikh constituents. The group said it was particularly troubled by any intelligence relevant to Khanda’s death.

Pannun, designated a terrorist by India for extremist activities, also appears in the documentary, surrounded by armed bodyguards and claiming he fears for his life.

The Canadian allegations had triggered a major diplomatic standoff in 2023, after then prime minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament that security agencies were “actively pursuing credible allegations.” India dismissed the accusations as a deliberate attempt to smear the country for domestic political gains.

Relations between the two nations have improved since Mark Carney replaced Trudeau as prime minister in May this year.

Carney has largely avoided public commentary on the investigation, maintaining an arm’s-length stance and stressing that the judicial process must run its course — a position that has helped cool tensions and reopen diplomatic channels.