Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested that the Indian government may have a role in the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Canadian Sikh leader. Mr. Nijjar was tragically killed outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia on June 18.

According to Mr. Trudeau, Canadian intelligence has identified a "credible" connection between Mr. Nijjar's murder and the Indian state. He raised this matter during his discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the recent G20 summit.

Mr. Trudeau emphasized in the House of Commons that any foreign government's involvement in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is a severe breach of their sovereignty and contradicts the fundamental principles that govern free, open, and democratic societies.

It's worth noting that India has previously denied any involvement in Mr. Nijjar's murder. Following Mr. Trudeau's statements, Canada took action by expelling Indian diplomat Pavan Kumar Rai. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly informed reporters of this decision.

Due to the ongoing homicide investigation into Mr. Nijjar's death, Canadian officials are limited in what they can publicly disclose about the case. Investigators have previously categorized the 45-year-old's death as a "targeted incident."

The fatal shooting occurred when two masked gunmen attacked Mr. Nijjar in his vehicle on a summer evening in the busy car park of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, located approximately 30km (18 miles) east of Vancouver. The BBC has reached out to the Indian embassy in Canada for their response to these developments.

He was a prominent Sikh leader in the westernmost province of British Columbia and publicly campaigned for Khalistan - an independent Sikh homeland in the Punjab region of India. His supporters have said that he was a target of threats in the past because of his activism.

India has previously described him as a terrorist who led a militant separatist group - accusations his supporters call "unfounded".

Mr. Trudeau said Canada has expressed its concerns about Mr. Nijjar's death to high-level security and intelligence agencies in India.

He also raised it with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

"I continue to ask with a great deal of firmness that the government of India cooperate with Canada to shed light on this situation," he said.

Mr. Trudeau said that Mr. Nijjar's shooting has angered Canadians, leaving some fearful for their safety.

Some Sikh groups in Canada, including the World Sikh Organisation, welcomed the prime minister's statement, saying Mr Trudeau confirmed what was already widely believed in the community.

There are an estimated 1.4 to 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin. The country has the largest population of Sikhs outside the state of Punjab in India.

Mr Trudeau's remarks come after his tense meeting with Mr Modi last week during the G20 summit in India.

During that meeting, according to a statement from the Indian government, Mr. Modi accused Canada of not doing enough to quell "anti-India activities of extremist elements", referring to the Sikh separatist movement in the country.

Canada also recently suspended negotiations for a free trade agreement with India. It gave few details on why, but India cited "certain political developments".

Mr. Nijjar is the third prominent Sikh figure to have died unexpectedly in recent months.

In the UK, Avtar Singh Khanda, who was said to be the head of the Khalistan Liberation Force, died in Birmingham in June under what has been described as "mysterious circumstances".

Paramjit Singh Panjwar, designated a terrorist by India, was shot dead in May in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province.