Hardeep Nijjar's Killing | US offered Intel, but Canada found 'smoking gun' linking India: The New York Times

According to allied officials, the United States only became aware of the plot and evidence pointing to India's involvement after Nijjar had been assassinated. Nijjar, a Canadian citizen advocating for the independence of Khalistan in India, was fatally shot by two individuals in the Vancouver area on June 18.

Prior to the killing, Canadian authorities had repeatedly warned Nijjar about threats against him and advised him to avoid visiting the temple. Following his death, American officials informed their Canadian counterparts that they had not possessed any advance information about the plot. They asserted that if they had, they would have promptly shared it with Ottawa under the "duty to warn" doctrine practised by intelligence agencies, as revealed by two allied officials.

These officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter, indicated that Canadian authorities had given Nijjar a general warning but had not specified that he was the target of an Indian government-led conspiracy.

The United States routinely shares intercepted communications with its closest intelligence partners, including Canada. However, the information related to the killing was deliberately shared as part of a comprehensive intelligence package.

The accusation has caused a diplomatic rift between Ottawa and New Delhi, resulting in the expulsion of each other's intelligence officers and India's suspension of visas for Canadians.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian officials have refrained from disclosing the specifics of the intelligence gathered about India, citing the need to protect the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's ongoing investigation into the murder.

Allied officials have refrained from providing detailed information about the intelligence shared by the United States.

A Canadian government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information, confirmed that the government had received intelligence from multiple countries. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation previously reported that the Canadian government had collected communications involving Indian diplomats in Canada.