Who Is Sanjay Kumar Verma? Indian High Commissioner in Canada Named 'Person of Interest'

New Delhi: As the diplomatic tension between India and Canada has hit an all-time high, Indian High Commissioner to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma has come under the spotlight. 

Verma has been named by Canada as a ‘person of interest’ in the investigation over the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 

Who Is Sanjay Kumar Verma as Canada Names Him Person of Interest 

High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1988. 

Earlier, he has been posted at the High Commission of India in Hong Kong and at Indian Embassies in the People's Republic of China, Vietnam, and Türkiye. 

Additionally, he served as the Consul General of India in Milan, Italy, and later as the Indian Ambassador to the Republic of Sudan. After his tenure in Sudan, he worked as Joint Secretary and then Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

Before his current assignment in Canada, he was the Ambassador of India to Japan and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

India Withdraws High Commissioner, Other Diplomats From Canada

In a diplomatic faceoff between India and Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a statement, slamming the Trudeau government over its vote bank politics and baseless allegations on Indian diplomats in Canada. India believes this is Canada's ‘deliberate strategy of smearing India’.

“The Canadian Charge d’Affaires was summoned by the Secretary (East) this evening. He was informed that the baseless targeting of the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats and officials in Canada was completely unacceptable,” MEA said.

“It was underlined that in an atmosphere of extremism and violence, the Trudeau Government's actions endangered their safety. We have no faith in the current Canadian Government's commitment to ensure their security. Therefore, the Government of India has decided to withdraw the High Commissioner and other targeted diplomats and officials,” the ministry added.