US authorities on Tuesday (7) charged Indian gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi and an alleged associate with orchestrating the 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, as part of a multinational operation targeting three India-based organized crime syndicates.
Federal prosecutors said Bishnoi, who is imprisoned in India, and his childhood friend Satinderjeet Singh were charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, where he served as president. Singh has not been arrested.
According to the indictment, Bishnoi directed the operation from an Indian prison using smuggled mobile phones and supplied a co-conspirator with a photograph and multiple addresses linked to Nijjar to facilitate the killing.
The charges were announced alongside a broader law enforcement operation involving authorities in the United States, Canada and Europe that resulted in charges against 37 defendants allegedly linked to three transnational crime syndicates involved in racketeering, extortion, kidnappings, firearms trafficking, drug trafficking and murder. Twenty-four people have been arrested, while 10 suspects remain at large, authorities said.
Speaking at a news conference in Los Angeles, First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said the operation targeted "transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs, and violence," according to AFP.
The US indictments also name Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, another jailed Indian gangster, who prosecutors said led a rival criminal organization operating across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. He and 16 others face charges including murder-for-hire, drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping and weapons trafficking.
Another indictment charged Ravinder Singh Dhanda, of Vancouver, Canada, and 10 others in connection with an alleged drug trafficking operation that prosecutors said smuggled large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine from the United States into Canada.
Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said the coordinated operation targeted organizations that had "terrorized families, exploited communities, and stolen lives through ruthless acts of violence in the U.S. and abroad".
Authorities said the investigation found that members of the criminal groups operated across multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Portugal. Prosecutors also alleged that some defendants used relationships with corrupt local officials in India to target rivals or people believed to be cooperating with law enforcement.
The killing of Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and prominent advocate for Khalistan, a movement seeking an independent Sikh homeland, triggered a diplomatic dispute between Canada and India. Then-Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said in 2023 there were "credible allegations" linking Indian government agents to the killing, an allegation India denied.
Nijjar, who was born in India, was wanted by Indian authorities at the time of his death, which had accused him of involvement in militant activities. India had offered a reward for information leading to his arrest.
The dispute over Nijjar's killing led Canada and India to expel each other's diplomats, further straining ties between the two countries. (Agencies)
Jay Gotraxx
Sunil Tolanixx
