US authorities have announced charges against Lawrence Bishnoi, the imprisoned leader of an Indian criminal gang, in connection with the 2023 assassination of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The killing, which occurred outside a temple in Surrey, British Columbia, had previously strained diplomatic relations between Canada and India.
Details of the Indictment
Bishnoi, along with his childhood friend Satinderjeet Singh, is accused of orchestrating Nijjar's murder. According to the indictment, Bishnoi directed the operation from an Indian jail using smuggled cellphones, providing a co-conspirator with a photograph and multiple addresses of Nijjar to facilitate the killing. Bishnoi remains in custody in India, while Singh has not been apprehended.
US Attorney Bill Essayli announced the charges at a news conference on Tuesday, alongside officials from the Los Angeles Police Department, the FBI, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The charges are part of a broader law enforcement operation that netted 37 defendants allegedly linked to three Indian international crime syndicates involved in kidnappings, racketeering, extortion, firearms dealing, drug trafficking, and murder. Authorities are still searching for seven fugitives in the US, two in India, and one in Europe.
Background of the Victim
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45 at the time of his death, was a prominent advocate for Khalistan, a movement seeking an independent Sikh homeland. He was organizing an unofficial referendum among the Sikh diaspora with the organization Sikhs For Justice. Born in India and a Canadian citizen, Nijjar was wanted by Indian authorities, who had offered a reward for information leading to his arrest.
The killing sparked tensions between Canada and India after then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated there were “credible allegations” of Indian government involvement in Nijjar's death. Both countries expelled diplomats amid the dispute.
Broader Criminal Network
The investigation also uncovered two other criminal organizations with transnational reach, including members in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. These groups are accused of stealing large quantities of drugs from other criminal organizations in California and selling the illicit merchandise across the US and into Canada.
Some defendants are alleged to have leveraged relationships with corrupt local authorities in India to persecute rivals or those cooperating with law enforcement. At least one defendant is accused of organizing criminal activities while detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, though it remains unclear how he communicated without detection.
Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, stated that the groups have “fuelled violence, fear and instability within the East Indian communities throughout California and abroad.”
An attorney for Bishnoi was not listed as of Tuesday afternoon.
