The recent visit of Sanjay Kumar Verma, India’s High Commissioner to Canada, to Cornwall has taken on new significance following news about him being a “person of interest” in an ongoing investigation.
October 1 Verma was in Cornwall for a ceremonial tree planting alongside Mayor Justin Towndale, marking a symbolic connection between Cornwall and India through environmental efforts. The High Commissioner even signed the City of Cornwall’s Golden Book, the same book also signed by Queen Elizabeth II. However, just two weeks later, Verma’s name is now linked to the RCMP’s investigation into criminal activity in this country, including homicide and extortion.
Verma’s visit to Cornwall was part of India’s global #Plant4Mother campaign, aimed at planting over a billion trees as part of environmental sustainability efforts. During the ceremony in Lamoureux Park, Verma praised the environmental initiative and highlighted the growing friendship between India and Canada. In a media release, Mayor Justin Towndale expressed his enthusiasm for the event, stating, “We are honoured to welcome the High Commissioner of India to Cornwall. This tree planting ceremony symbolizes our shared commitment to environmental sustainability and celebrates the enduring friendship between the City of Cornwall and Country of India. It is a moment of pride for our community.”
Now, the context has shifted dramatically, with the RCMP having named Verma and five other Indian diplomats as “persons of interest” in their investigation. Tensions escalated between Canada and India last October after the RCMP investigated the June 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader and prominent advocate for the Khalistan movement, which seeks to establish an independent Sikh state in the Punjab region of India. Last October, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of possible involvement in the killing, sparking a diplomatic crisis. India has denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated, and withdrew some of its diplomats from Canada.
In response to the stunning developments, the City of Cornwall issued a statement: “We understand that this developing diplomatic situation is a serious matter. It is important to note that when the Indian High Commission reached out to offer a tree planting, none of what is in the media today (October 14) was public at the time.
Right now, the federal government is stating that the former High Commissioner is a person of interest. He has not been charged with any offence and we are not privy to any information that the federal government has in this regard.”
The statement added, “our justice system is based on the premise of innocent until proven guilty. As such, the City will wait to see the outcome of any judicial proceedings.”
According to media reports, Canada asked India remove the diplomatic immunity of the implicated officials in Canada so that charges could be laid. When India refused, Canada then submitted a diplomatic note saying the Indian officials would be expelled.
India then announced it was withdrawing Verma and the other diplomats.
