US charges Indian criminal gang leader with organising murder of Canadian Sikh activist
✓US authorities have announced charges against the leader of an Indian criminal group in connection with the political assassination of a prominent Sikh activist in Canada – a high-profile killing that strained diplomatic relations between Canada and India at the time.
Lawrence Bishnoi – the imprisoned head of an Indian criminal gang - and his childhood friend Satinderjeet Singh, are accused of orchestrating the assassination of a well-known Sikh independence activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was fatally shot outside a temple where he served as president in 2023. Bishnoi is in custody, but Singh has not been apprehended.
The indictment says Bishnoi directed the operation from an Indian jail cell using smuggled cellphones and provided a co-conspirator with a photograph and multiple addresses of Nijjar’s to facilitate the killing.
The charges were part of a massive law enforcement operation involving agencies across the US, Canada and Europe that swept up 37 defendants who are allegedly a part of three Indian international crime syndicates tied to kidnappings, racketeering, extortion, firearms dealing, drug trafficking and murder, US attorney Bill Essayli announced at a news conference on Tuesday.
He spoke alongside officials with the Los Angeles Police Department, the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Authorities are still searching for seven fugitives in the US, two in India and one in Europe.
The groups have “have fuelled violence, fear and instability within the East Indian communities throughout California and abroad,” said Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
The killing of Nijjar sparked tensions between the Canadian and Indian governments, after then-Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said that there were “credible allegations” that the Indian government was involved in Nijar’s death.
Nijjar, 45 when he died, was a prominent member of a movement to create an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, and he was organising an unofficial referendum among the Sikh diaspora with the organisation Sikhs For Justice. Nijjar, who was born in India and was a Canadian citizen, was wanted by Indian authorities at the time of his death. The authorities had offered a reward for information leading to his arrest.
Sikh diaspora activism has been a source of tension between India and Canada for years. Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside India, and India has repeatedly accused it of tolerating “terrorists and extremists.” Both India and Canada expelled diplomats from the other country amid the international dispute.
Authorities also named two other criminal organisations that were swept up for similar charges over the course of the two-year investigation. The transnational organisations have members in countries ranging from the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal and the United Kingdom. Members of the group are also accused of stealing large quantities of drugs from other criminal organisations operating in California, and then selling the illicit merchandise across the country and into Canada.
The indictments say that some defendants leveraged relationships with corrupt local authorities in India to persecute rivals or those who were believed to be cooperating with law enforcement. At least one defendant is accused of organising criminal activities while detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, authorities said Tuesday, though it is not clear how he was able to communicate without being detected.
An attorney for Bishnoi was not listed on Tuesday afternoon.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
US law enforcement agencies have charged Lawrence Bishnoi, leader of an Indian criminal organization, with organizing the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Canadian Sikh activist. Nijjar was shot outside a temple in Canada where he served as president. According to the indictment, Bishnoi directed the operation from prison using smuggled cellphones and provided an associate with Nijjar's photograph and addresses to facilitate the killing. The charges emerged from a joint investigation spanning two years involving US, Canadian, and European authorities. The operation resulted in 37 arrests linked to three Indian transnational crime syndicates involved in kidnapping, extortion, firearms dealing, drug trafficking, and murder. Ten suspects remain fugitives. Nijjar was a prominent organizer for Khalistan, a movement seeking an independent Sikh homeland, and had been wanted by Indian authorities. His death prompted diplomatic tensions between Canada and India, with Canadian officials citing credible allegations of Indian government involvement.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
US authorities have announced charges against the leader of an Indian criminal group in connection with the political assassination of a prominent Sikh activist in Canada – a high-profile killing that strained diplomatic relations between Canada and India at the time.
Lawrence Bishnoi – the imprisoned head of an Indian criminal gang - and his childhood friend Satinderjeet Singh, are accused of orchestrating the assassination of a well-known Sikh independence activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was fatally shot outside a temple where he served as president in 2023. Bishnoi is in custody, but Singh has not been apprehended.
The indictment says Bishnoi directed the operation from an Indian jail cell using smuggled cellphones and provided a co-conspirator with a photograph and multiple addresses of Nijjar’s to facilitate the killing.
The charges were part of a massive law enforcement operation involving agencies across the US, Canada and Europe that swept up 37 defendants who are allegedly a part of three Indian international crime syndicates tied to kidnappings, racketeering, extortion, firearms dealing, drug trafficking and murder, US attorney Bill Essayli announced at a news conference on Tuesday.
He spoke alongside officials with the Los Angeles Police Department, the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Authorities are still searching for seven fugitives in the US, two in India and one in Europe.
The groups have “have fuelled violence, fear and instability within the East Indian communities throughout California and abroad,” said Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
The killing of Nijjar sparked tensions between the Canadian and Indian governments, after then-Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said that there were “credible allegations” that the Indian government was involved in Nijar’s death.
Nijjar, 45 when he died, was a prominent member of a movement to create an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, and he was organising an unofficial referendum among the Sikh diaspora with the organisation Sikhs For Justice. Nijjar, who was born in India and was a Canadian citizen, was wanted by Indian authorities at the time of his death. The authorities had offered a reward for information leading to his arrest.
Sikh diaspora activism has been a source of tension between India and Canada for years. Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside India, and India has repeatedly accused it of tolerating “terrorists and extremists.” Both India and Canada expelled diplomats from the other country amid the international dispute.
Authorities also named two other criminal organisations that were swept up for similar charges over the course of the two-year investigation. The transnational organisations have members in countries ranging from the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal and the United Kingdom. Members of the group are also accused of stealing large quantities of drugs from other criminal organisations operating in California, and then selling the illicit merchandise across the country and into Canada.
The indictments say that some defendants leveraged relationships with corrupt local authorities in India to persecute rivals or those who were believed to be cooperating with law enforcement. At least one defendant is accused of organising criminal activities while detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, authorities said Tuesday, though it is not clear how he was able to communicate without being detected.
An attorney for Bishnoi was not listed on Tuesday afternoon.
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
US authorities charged Lawrence Bishnoi and Satinderjeet Singh with organizing the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh activist Bishnoi allegedly directed the operation from an Indian jail cell using smuggled cellphones and provided a co-conspirator with Nijjar's photograph and multiple addresses The charges are part of a massive law enforcement operation involving 37 defendants across the US, Canada, and Europe linked to three Indian international crime syndicates The syndicates are accused of kidnappings, racketeering, extortion, firearms dealing, drug trafficking, and murder Ten fugitives remain at large: seven in the US, two in India, and one in Europe Nijjar's killing sparked tensions between Canadian and Indian governments Canadian PM Justin Trudeau stated there were credible allegations that the Indian government was involved in Nijjar's death Nijjar was a prominent member of the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh homeland Nijjar was wanted by Indian authorities at the time of his death, and authorities had offered a reward for information leading to his arrest The criminal organizations have fuelled violence, fear and instability within the East Indian communities throughout California and abroad Sikh diaspora activism has been a source of tension between India and Canada for years
Read the full story at The Guardian ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗
- US authorities charged Indian gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi and associate Satinderjeet Singh with organizing the 2023 assassination of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
- Bishnoi allegedly directed the killing from an Indian jail using smuggled phones and provided the assassin with Nijjar's photo and addresses
- The charges are part of a larger operation against three Indian international crime syndicates, resulting in 37 arrests across multiple countries for crimes including murder, trafficking, and racketeering
- Nijjar's death had strained Canada-India relations after PM Trudeau cited credible allegations of Indian government involvement
- Ten fugitives remain at large across the US, India, and Europe