Amid the rising diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, one of Punjab’s ‘category-A’ gangsters and the prime accused in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala – Goldy Brar – has become a subject of renewed interest, reported The Tribune.
In May 2022, after Moosewala’s murder, the Punjab Police claimed to have – via the Government of India – shared Goldy’s 'pinpointed location' in Canada. However, the security agencies in Canada 'didn’t give any encouraging response'.
Now Punjab Police officials have questioned Canada’s double standards on the matter. The Punjab Police stated that, on the one hand, they removed Goldy from their 'most wanted list', while on the other hand, they accused him and his aide Lawrence Bishnoi of being involved in the killing of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in June 2023, added the report.
The police officials in Punjab believe Goldy could be in the 'safe custody' of some Canadian agency or any other group in that country.
Sanjay Verma, India’s former High Commissioner to Canada, had questioned Ottawa’s role in the Goldy case. In a recent interview with a news agency on Thursday, he even confirmed Goldy was in Canada.
“Goldy Brar was living in Canada. On our request, he was put on the wanted list. All of a sudden, he disappeared from the list. What do I make out of it? Either he is arrested or he is no longer wanted,” Verma said.
He stated that India shared the names of Goldy and Bishnoi with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. “So, it’s not that Canada or the Canadian authorities woke up from their dreams and said, ‘here is Bishnoi and here is Brar’. It was an Indian agency that told them about these two gangsters,” the diplomat said.
Verma's claims have received the support of Punjab Police officials. An official, on anonymity, claimed Goldy was allegedly on a video call with Sandeep, alias Kekra, and taking live notes about the singer’s movement from his house, minutes before he was murdered on May 29.
The Punjab Police after tracing the IP address of the video call to Canada, shared it with the authorities there. They added information about the details of the student visa on which Goldy had entered the country on March 17, 2017 was provide too.
A police official said, as The Tribune quoted, “After Moosewala’s murder, we provided all details about Goldy to Canada. It’s a fact he landed there on a study visa using his real passport number. If he left Canada for any other country, the Canadian authorities should be able to find it out.”
With agency inputs.
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