Canada murders spark calls to label India’s Bishnoi gang a ‘terror’ group

On a crisp outpouring greeting successful Brampton municipality of Canada’s Ontario state successful May, Harjit Singh Dhadda meticulously tied his accepted sage greenish turban arsenic helium got acceptable for work.

He embraced his girl Gurleen earlier leaving for his trucking security bureau successful Mississauga adjacent Toronto’s bustling Pearson planetary airport.

It was the past clip Gurleen saw her 51-year-old begetter alive. As Harjit reached the car parkland of his bureau connected May 14, 2 men confronted him. One of them pumped aggregate bullets into Harjit’s assemblage earlier fleeing successful a stolen 2018 Dodge Challenger.

Harjit aboriginal died of his injuries astatine a section hospital.

Hours later, 2 men claimed work for Harjit’s execution successful a Facebook post, calling themselves members of a transgression pack led by Lawrence Bishnoi, an Indian nationalist presently imprisoned astatine Sabarmati Central Jail successful the occidental Indian authorities of Gujarat.

Barely a period aft Harjit’s murder, a businessman successful Surrey, British Columbia, and different successful Harjit’s town, Brampton – some of Indian root – were shot. Local authorities accidental the murders correspond a disturbing enlargement of transgression networks rooted successful India into Canadian territory – led by India’s astir notorious organised transgression syndicate, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Now, a increasing fig of governmental leaders successful Canada privation the national authorities to act, demanding that the Bishnoi pack beryllium declared a violent organisation.

Lawrence Bishnoi amid dense constabulary information portion coming retired of the Amritsar tribunal analyzable connected October 31, 2022, successful Amritsar, India [Sameer Sehgal/Hindustan Times via Getty Images]

‘Public information indispensable travel first’

“The violent designation enables constabulary to usage the indispensable tools to analyse and bring this enactment to an end. It gives constabulary important investigative tools,” British Columbia’s Premier David Eby said successful a connection connected June 17.

In July, his Alberta counterpart, Daniel Smith, echoed that call. “Formally designating the Bishnoi Gang arsenic a violent entity volition unlock captious powers, allowing instrumentality enforcement agencies to entree the indispensable tools and resources needed to disrupt operations and support our radical effectively,” Smith said successful a Facebook station connected July 14.

Alberta’s Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said determination was credible quality indicating the engagement of the Bishnoi pack successful extortion and targeted unit successful the state and elsewhere successful Canada. “The pack originates from India, and ongoing investigations are examining wherefore they are specifically targeting the South Asian community,” Ellis told Al Jazeera successful a statement.

Jody Toor, a lawmaker from the Conservative Party successful the British Columbia Legislature, and Brampton metropolis Mayor Patrick Brown person besides supported designating the Bishnoi pack a violent organisation.

The Canadian national authorities has suggested that it is examining these demands. “There is precedent for transgression organisations being designated this way, and I afloat enactment a thorough, evidence-based approach,” Secretary of State for Combating Crime Ruby Sahota told Al Jazeera. “Public information indispensable travel first, and if a radical meets the criteria, it should beryllium listed without delay.”

Amarnath Amarasingam, a researcher connected extremism and an subordinate prof astatine Queen’s University successful Ontario, said that listing the Bishnoi radical arsenic a violent organisation would importantly broaden instrumentality enforcement powers. It would let instrumentality enforcement agencies to prosecute terrorism-related charges, criminalise recruitment oregon fiscal enactment for the group, prehend and frost assets, and springiness them greater surveillance powers.

Canadian officials had, successful 2024, accused the Bishnoi gang of acting astatine the behest of Indian quality agencies to people critics of the Indian authorities connected their soil.

“A violent designation would nonstop a beardown awesome to India and different allies that Canada is taking the transnational menace seriously. It would besides summation information-sharing opportunities with planetary partners,” Amarasingam told Al Jazeera. Those partners see the Five Eyes alliance, which besides includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

A violent tag could fortify Canadian requests for arrests done organisations similar Interpol, too, helium added. It could trigger sanctions against the gang, allowing the authorities to institute question bans, visa denials and fiscal blacklisting of associates and funders.

But helium warned that listing the radical arsenic a violent organisation could person its downsides. While intelligibly progressive successful transgression activity, the Bishnoi pack doesn’t look to person political, spiritual oregon ideological objectives – traditionally the barroom that listings person needed – helium said.

“Using coercion powers to people a radical that lacks this information could acceptable a unsafe precedent, weakening the credibility of Canada’s listing process and lowering the threshold, opening the doorway for aboriginal governmental misuse,” Amarasingam said.

A subordinate of a Sikh organisation holds a placard displaying Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar successful Amritsar connected September 22, 2023. Nijjar’s sidesplitting successful Surrey, British Columbia, archetypal brought the Bishnoi pack to planetary prominence, with Canadian officials claiming it worked with the Indian authorities to termination overseas dissidents [Narinder Nanu/ AFP]

An Indian quality asset?

But the Bishnoi pack is nary mean transgression syndicate, according to Canadian officials.

In caller years, the Indian authorities nether Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced allegations that its quality agents person been attempting to transportation retired targeted assassinations of Sikh separatists overseas, particularly successful Canada and the US.

Canada is location to astir 770,000 Sikhs, who marque up 2.1 percent of its colonisation – their largest fig extracurricular India. Many of them moved to Canada successful the 1980s erstwhile Indian forces launched a convulsive crackdown connected alleged supporters of a question demanding a abstracted Sikh homeland, Khalistan, to beryllium carved retired of the bluish Indian authorities of Punjab. India describes specified separatists arsenic “terrorists”.

It was the sidesplitting of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, extracurricular a Sikh temple connected June 18, 2023, that pushed Bishnoi and his pack to the centre of a bitter diplomatic warfare betwixt Canada and India.

In October that year, past Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian diplomats were collecting quality connected “Canadians who are opponents oregon successful disagreement with the Modi government” and that the quality reached “criminal organisations similar the Lawrence Bishnoi pack to past effect successful unit against Canadians connected the ground”.

Trudeau and his authorities straight blamed the Modi authorities for Nijjar’s assassination. Nijjar was a salient protagonist of a Khalistani state.

But New Delhi, portion rejecting these allegations, has insisted that it has sent much than 2 twelve extradition requests to Canada, seeking Ottawa’s assistance successful getting Bishnoi pack members backmost to India to look “due ineligible action”. And it says that Canada hasn’t acted connected its request.

As Canada and India commercialized allegations, galore successful the Indian root assemblage are dealing with mounting insecurity. Could they beryllium the adjacent people of the Bishnoi group?

Police photos of Aman and Digvijay, 2 of the men arrested for Harjit’s execution [Courtesy of Peel Police, British Columbia]

‘Threatening call’

Over 3 decades, Harjit, a Sikh entrepreneur, had built a beingness that resembled a Canadian migrant occurrence story.

He ran a institution called G&G Trucking Solutions – a consultancy steadfast that advised its clients connected however to commencement and tally a trucking company, and was a commercialized security broker arsenic well. His concern expanded to Calgary and Edmonton, successful Alberta, and helium had astir 30 employees.

Then, connected December 10, 2023 – his day – helium received a telephone telephone from idiosyncratic who identified himself arsenic an Indian gangster, his girl Gurleen recalled. The caller demanded 500,000 Canadian dollars ($361,000) successful extortion wealth and threatened dire consequences if the wealth wasn’t paid. Harjit refused to wage and informed instrumentality enforcement authorities.

“He told maine astir the threatening call,” Gurleen, a 24-year-old concern pupil astatine York University successful Toronto, told Al Jazeera.

After the threatening call, Harjit changed his regular daily and began operating his concern mostly from home. But eventually, helium resumed meetings with clients successful his office, his girl said.

On May 14, Gurleen received a telephone from her father’s office. He had been shot.

“I rushed to the office. There were slug casings scattered everywhere. Police had cordoned disconnected the full area. My begetter was rushed to the hospital, helium aboriginal succumbed to his injuries,” said Gurleen.

Police person arrested 3 men – identified arsenic Aman and Digvijay, some 21, and Shaheel, 22 – arsenic suspects. But Harjit’s household says instrumentality enforcement person lone scratched the extremity of the iceberg.

“Police simply arrested 3 kids. But who orchestrated this? I wanted to cognize the antheral down my father’s killing,” said Gurleen.

Meanwhile, 2 men – Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar – who called themselves members of the Bishnoi gang, posted connected Facebook that they had killed Harjit. They claimed that Harjit had helped a rival pack and was progressive successful a execution successful India – allegations that the household denies. Police person not confirmed whether they judge the Bishnoi pack was down Harjit’s killing.

On June 12, 2025, different Indian-origin businessman, Satwinder Sharma, was changeable successful Surrey, British Columbia. An Indian root gangster, Jiwan Fauji claimed work for the murder. Indian constabulary person labelled Fauji an alleged subordinate of Babbar Khalsa International, a banned Khalistani outfit. Sharma’s household did not respond to an Al Jazeera petition for an interview.

A small implicit a week later, connected June 20, Brampton-based businessman, MP Dhanoa, was changeable down. Again, Godara and Brar claimed work connected behalf of the Bishnoi pack successful a Facebook post.

Harjit, Sharma and Dhanoa person nary known links to the Khalistani movement.

But pack person Lawrence Bishnoi, isolated from his transgression network, has presented himself arsenic a Hindu nationalist successful interviews from jail, and immoderate supporters of Modi’s Hindu majoritarian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) authorities person spoken of however the gangster had frightened Khalistan supporters.

Policemen escort jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi arsenic they bring him earlier the Patiala House Court successful New Delhi, India, Tuesday, April 18, 2023 [Dinesh Joshi/AP Photo]

Rise to notoriety

Indian constabulary officials accidental that Bishnoi, 32, controls much than 700 sharpshooters who transportation retired murders and extortion globally. And helium does this from down bars, shuffling betwixt assorted prisons for astir a decennary now.

Bishnoi and Brar gained wide notoriety successful May 2022, erstwhile the pack murdered salient Punjabi vocalist and rapper Sidhu Moosewala successful Punjab. Police said Brar allegedly orchestrated Moosewala’s sidesplitting from Canada.

Ajai Sahni, enforcement manager of the New Delhi Institute for Conflict Management, said establishing a bid concatenation – and adjacent defining what constitutes a pack – isn’t casual with transnational groups. “Any incidental executed successful India tin beryllium claimed by Bishnoi pack members successful Canada oregon successful the US, and vice versa done unverifiable societal media accounts,” Sahni told Al Jazeera. He suggested that successful specified cases, adjacent surveillance records against suspects mightiness not suffice arsenic beardown capable ineligible evidence.

Sanjay Verma, erstwhile Indian precocious commissioner – Canada expelled him aft Trudeau’s allegations successful 2023 – said past twelvemonth that India had shared accusation astir Brar’s beingness successful Canada with Ottawa.

In 2024, Bishnoi’s pack claimed work for the execution of a 66-year-old politician, Baba Siddique, successful Mumbai’s Bandra area. Two members of the Bishnoi gang were besides arrested for firing extracurricular the Mumbai residence of fashionable Bollywood actor, Salman Khan.

Gurmeet Singh Chauhan, lawman inspector wide of the Anti-Gangster Task Force successful India’s Punjab, advocates for a associated data-sharing mechanics betwixt countries affected by transgression gangs, similar Bishnoi.

“If we person immoderate evidence, it should beryllium promptly shared with our Canadian counterparts, who indispensable analyse it without hold and support america informed. Crime is transgression – nary substance wherever it occurs successful the world,” Chauhan told Al Jazeera. “There is simply a precise bladed enactment betwixt organised transgression and terrorism. These networks tin beryllium exploited for violent activities astatine immoderate time, anyplace successful the world.”

The Bishnoi radical has besides claimed work for attacks connected the homes of 2 salient Punjabi singers, AP Dhillon and Gippy Grewal, successful British Columbia, implicit the past 2 years, arsenic its empire of fearfulness has expanded from Mumbai to Mississauga. And connected August 7, an alleged Bishnoi pack subordinate claimed work for gunshots fired astatine a cafe successful British Columbia owned by Indian comedian Kapil Sharma.

A banner with the representation of Sikh person Hardeep Singh Nijjar is seen astatine the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple, tract of his June 2023 killing, successful Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, September 20, 2023 [Chris Helgren/Reuters]

‘They could execute me’

Satish Kumar, a 73-year-old businessman successful Surrey, British Columbia who migrated to Canada 45 years ago, says helium lives successful changeless fear.

Kumar is the president of Lakshmi Narayan Temple successful Surrey, a salient spiritual tract for Hindus.

Earlier this year, helium received a telephone telephone from a antheral who identified himself arsenic Godara, the Bishnoi subordinate who – on with Brar – claimed work for the killings of Harjit and Dhanoa. “He demanded 2 cardinal Canadian dollars [$1.45m] arsenic extortion,” Kumar told Al Jazeera, adding that helium blocked the number.

Later helium reported the telephone to the police, aft receiving threats from different numbers. “They sent aggregate dependable notes connected May 28, 2025, threatening to termination maine and harm my concern premises, but I blocked the numbers”, said Kumar.

Then, the threats turned to bullets.

On June 7, men allegedly belonging to the Bishnoi gang fired shots astatine assorted buildings owned by Kumar. “The pack members filmed the shootings astatine 3 of my premises and sent maine the footage, but I refused to wage extortion,” helium said.

Kumar said helium was frustrated with what helium called an “inadequate response” by the Canadian police. “They [gangsters] could execute maine astatine immoderate moment. I inactive person calls from them. My household is nether changeless stress,” helium told Al Jazeera.

As attacks escalate, the South Asian assemblage successful Surrey and Brampton has been campaigning for much information connected societal media, uploading videos of assorted shootings successful the 2 cities. Since 2003, gang-related homicides successful British Columbia person climbed from 21 percent to 46 percent of each homicides successful 2023, according to the provincial police.

“During work, I tin momentarily hide astir these gangs,” Kumar said. “But erstwhile I decorativeness my work, past it’s determination – this fear.”