Pavan Kumar Rai, the Indian diplomat expelled by Canada, is a 1997-batch Punjab cadre IPS officer and served as the station chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) in Canada. Canada expelled him after alleging India's role in Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Nijjar's killing. Rai was SSP of Taran Tarn in 2009-10 and led fight against drugs, his colleague said.