U.S. federal prosecutors have charged alleged Indian crime boss Lawrence Bishnoi and several associates with orchestrating the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, as part of a sweeping international crackdown on organized crime networks.
The charges were announced Tuesday alongside three indictments involving 37 defendants accused of participating in transnational criminal organizations linked to India. Authorities allege the groups were involved in targeted killings, extortion, drug trafficking and other violent crimes spanning North America and Europe.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the investigation, conducted over several years, targeted members of three India-based organized crime syndicates, including the Bishnoi gang.
“Transnational criminal gangs who spread fear, drugs and violence will face the full force of justice,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said, adding that authorities remain committed to dismantling the criminal organizations.
Prosecutors allege that Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, and Satinderjeet “Goldy Brar” Singh, 32, ordered the assassination of Nijjar, a prominent advocate for the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh homeland in India’s Punjab region.
Nijjar, 45, was fatally shot by masked gunmen in June 2023 while sitting in his vehicle outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. His killing sparked a major diplomatic dispute between Canada and India.
Bishnoi has been imprisoned in India since 2015, while Brar remains at large.
The latest indictments also allege members of the Bishnoi gang targeted religious and political leaders through violence and intimidation while carrying out multimillion-dollar extortion schemes. Prosecutors claim the group demanded a US$5 million payment from one California-based victim earlier this year.
As part of the broader investigation, law enforcement agencies seized approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, $40,000 in cash, and a dozen firearms.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Canada designated the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity in 2025, enabling authorities to freeze assets and seize property linked to the organization. Meanwhile, four Indian nationals charged in Canada in connection with Nijjar’s killing remain before the courts awaiting trial.
