Washington: The United States has charged jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close aide Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar with allegedly orchestrating the 2023 assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, marking a major development in the high-profile case that triggered a diplomatic standoff between India and Canada.
According to a federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles, Bishnoi and Brar allegedly ordered the killing of Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. P
rosecutors allege Bishnoi directed the operation from prison in India using smuggled mobile phones, while Brar managed the gang’s operations in North America.
Authorities announced charges against 37 individuals linked to three Indian-based criminal syndicates, alleging involvement in murder, extortion, drug trafficking and weapons smuggling across several countries, according to Reuters.
The US Justice Department, in announcing the case, said the investigation was carried out in coordination with Canadian and other international law enforcement agencies. Officials described the action as part of efforts to dismantle organised criminal networks operating across borders.
Nijjar’s killing in June 2023 sparked a major diplomatic crisis after then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged there were credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the assassination. India rejected the allegations as “absurd” and denied any involvement. The US indictment, however, does not accuse the Indian government of involvement in the killing.
Canadian authorities had earlier arrested four Indian nationals in connection with Nijjar’s murder, and the investigation into the case remains ongoing.