Three Indian students killed in Canada; India demands thorough investigation

India on Friday described the recent murder of three Indian students in Canada as terrible tragedies and said its high commission in Ottawa has taken up the matter of safety of Indians with the Canadian authoritiesThe safety security and welfare of Indian nationals in Canada remains of utmost importance to us external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal saidNew Delhi has demanded a thorough investigation into the killing of the three IndiansIn the last week or so we have had unfortunate tragedies Three Indian students have been murdered We are saddened at these terrible tragedies that have struck our nationals in Canada Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefingWe extend our deepest condolences to the grieving families Our High Commission and Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver are extending all possible help in the matter he saidJaiswal said the Indian missions in that country are in touch with the local authorities for thorough investigation of the incidentsIndias call for safety of Indians in Canada and demand for thorough investigation into the murders of three students came amid frosty ties between the two countriesIssues faced by them especially Indian students are raised by our high commission and Consulates with the relevant Canadian authorities on a regular basis he saidWe have also issued an advisory for our nationals and Indian students to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant in view of the deteriorating security environment in Canada as a result of the growing incidence of hate crimes and criminal violence Jaiswal addedAccording to official data over 400000 Indian students are studying in CanadaIn October IndiaCanada ties nosedived sharply after Canada linked Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Verma and some other diplomats to the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last yearIndia strongly rejected all the allegations made by Ottawa in connection to the case and subsequently recalled the high commissioner The Canadian government had said the Indian envoy and a few other diplomats were expelled from the countryNew Delhi expelled Canadian Charge dAffaires Stewart Wheeler and five other diplomats following the allegations by CanadaAsked about reports in Canadian media about instances of Indian high commission in Ottawa refusing visas to certain individuals Jaiswal described them as a disinformation campaignWe have seen the said media report It is yet another example of Canadian medias disinformation to malign India he saidGranting of Indian visas is our sovereign function and we have the legitimate right to deny visas to those who undermine our territorial integrity he saidThe commentary that we see in the Canadian media on this matter is akin to foreign interference in Indias sovereign affairs Jaiswal addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever