The external intelligence service of India RAW is considered a formidable adversary in its neighboring countries, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, where all of them have alleged political interference and involvement in violent activities with outlawed groups.
According to the news agency "Reuters," this issue has now extended from Asia to Canada, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month accused Indian government agents of being involved in the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardip Singh Nijjar in the Vancouver suburbs in June and following this accusation, the world has been closely watching India's secretive "Research and Analysis Wing" (R&AW).
While India has vehemently denied these allegations and demanded proof from Canada, Canada stated that it has shared this evidence with its allies but will not make it public.
Reuters spoke to four retired and two serving Indian security and intelligence officials familiar with R&AW, who said the agency was reoriented after the 2008 Mumbai attacks to play a more robust international role.
On condition of anonymity, these four officials with knowledge of sensitive dealings with neighboring countries said that R&AW has gradually expanded its reach in Western countries since 2008.
One current and one former official have high marks for R&AW's signal and technical intelligence capabilities concerning their neighboring countries, but in the West, the agency relies more on human intelligence for its operations.
Five officials stated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown strong support for R&AW, similar to other national security institutions, where he has bolstered India's defensive capabilities and strengthened its identity since the 2014 elections.
The head of the agency, Ravi Sinha, is the only present service officer who is publicly associated with the agency and has not responded to the request regarding the report. Ravi Sinha reports to Modi's office through the National Health Advisor, Ajit Dovhal, who also has not responded to the request.
All officers have expressed doubt that Rataarget Killing is involved and stated that the agency has no mandate for such actions.
British intelligence officials and analysts have suggested that the concerns over the incident in Vancouver have increased global scrutiny on RAW. According to Dhairaj Parmar, an expert on Indian intelligence at the University of Hull in the UK, the current developments have undoubtedly heightened international espionage interest in Raa. Western investigations into Raa's activities can also be seen as a security concern for Delhi.
In anticipation of growing tensions with China, Western countries have increased military and intelligence cooperation with Delhi, and Washington had agreed in 2020 to collaborate with India on sensitive mapping and satellite data.
An official noted that Canada's claim could make it difficult for Western countries to trust Raa, potentially straining diplomatic relations. Since Trudeau's allegations against India on a public level, Canada and India's diplomatic relations have soured, with India suspending new visas for Canadian citizens and demanding a reduction in its diplomatic presence in Ottawa.
The diplomatic relations between Canada and India have been strained since Trudeau publicly accused India, and India has halted the issuance of new visas to Canadian citizens and demanded a reduction in its diplomatic presence in Ottawa. The Washington Post reported that Canada pushed its allies like the United States to issue a joint statement condemning India, but it failed in its attempt.