Canadian authorities have intelligence that India was behind slaying of Sikh leader in Surrey, B.C.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar , a prominent Sikh leader in British Columbia , was shot dead in June .

He was designated a terrorist by New Delhi and part of a separatist movement seeking an autonomous state for adherents of Sikhism.

The Canadian government has privately ruled out severing diplomatic relations with New Delhi but is considering measures to respond to what it considers a serious violation of Canadian sovereignty.

India ’s High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma said some segments of the Sikh community in Canada are offering financial and other support to secessionists who want to separate Punjab from India .

The federal government has said it does not support Sikh separatism but defends the rights of Canadian Sikhs to free speech.