Project Gaslight extortion investigation not connected to Canada’s allegations against Indian diplomats: police

Edmonton police say there is no information to suggest the RCMP’s allegations against Indian diplomats in Canada is connected to Project Gaslight, an ongoing extortion investigation in Alberta’s capital.

Authorities in Edmonton say organized crime groups were targeting vacant, newly built and under-construction homes as part of international extortion activities with links to India. The crime wave saw dozens of homes in the Edmonton area burn down last year and into this year.

But EPS tells CityNews there is no evidence to suggest Project Gaslight and Ottawa’s recent bombshell claims against Indian diplomats are connected.

The Canadian government expelled six Indian diplomats on Monday after the RCMP said it had credible evidence that Indian agents played a role in extortion, coercion and murder of Canadian citizens on Canadian soil. India declined to waive diplomatic immunity for the six diplomats to answer RCMP questions related to the investigation.

“However, we know that the extortion series in Edmonton has ties to India, and the EPS continues to work with our RCMP counterparts to monitor this complex and evolving international situation,” an EPS spokesperson told CityNews Wednesday.

Police say there have been no arsons connected to Project Gaslight in Edmonton since July, the same month six people – five men and one woman – were charged with arson, extortion and more in connection with the investigation.

WATCH: Political rift growing between Canada and India

Canadian authorities say Indian officials had gathered information that led to criminal organizations targeting Khalistan separatists, who advocate for a Sikh homeland to be carved out of India.

The Canadian government has previously said credible intelligence links India’s government to the June 2023 killing of activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, leader of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, B.C.

‘Members of our community across Canada are worried’

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the allegations “shocking” on Wednesday, adding people were likely “alarmed.”

“We have a very large diaspora of Indian population living in Alberta, and I’ll do what we can to make sure that the impact on our residents in Alberta is minimized,” Smith told reporters in Calgary. “We are obviously going to follow the lead of what the federal government does and how they manage that investigation and get the resolution.”

Calgary MP George Chahal also reacted to the RCMP’s claims, calling them “concerning.”

“Foreign interference in Canada is completely unacceptable from any nation around the world,” Chahal said. “Our job, as a government, is to keep Canadians safe.

“The killing of a Canadian citizen, the assassination at the Sikh temple in Surrey, was really concerning, and I know members of our community across Canada are worried.

“And there has been significant action taken by the RCMP and police departments across the country, with a number of arrests, but that is also an ongoing investigation, and I hope that the Indian government steps forward and cooperates with sharing intelligence and prosecuting those who have committed these crimes.”

–With files from the Canadian Press

Correction: This article was corrected to clarify Edmonton police’s statement that there is no evidence linking Project Gaslight to Indian diplomats, as opposed to having no ties to India in general.