Chinmoy Naik has been appointed as the acting High Commissioner of India to Canada, according to an announcement from the Indian High Commission in Ottawa on Sunday. His appointment follows the withdrawal of former High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and five other officials amid escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Canada.
Naik, who has served as Deputy High Commissioner in Ottawa since February 2023, is a seasoned diplomat with a background in the Indian Foreign Service, having joined in 2004. His previous assignments include roles at the Indian Embassies in Beijing and Paris, as well as responsibilities related to Eurasia, disarmament, new technologies, and cultural diplomacy while stationed in New Delhi.
The diplomatic row intensified after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of involvement in the killing of Sikh-Canadian Hardeep Singh Nijjar. In response, India demanded a reduction in Canada’s diplomatic presence and withdrew its own diplomats from Canada, leading to heightened tensions between the two nations.
