US Charges Indian Gang Leader and Associate in Canadian Sikh Leader's Murder

Washington D.C. The United States has filed charges against Lawrence Bishnoi, the head of an Indian criminal gang, and his North American associate Satinderjit Singh (aka Goldy Brar), who are in jail, for orchestrating the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023.

According to the indictment made public in a federal court in Los Angeles, Bishnoi and Brar directed the plan to murder Nijjar on June 18, 2023, outside a Sikh gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

The indictment states that Bishnoi operated the assassination campaign using mobile phones smuggled into India's jail and provided conspirators with Nijjar's photograph and various addresses where he lived. According to US officials, Goldy Brar is a childhood friend of Bishnoi and was responsible for managing the activities of the Lawrence Bishnoi Organized Crime Group in North America.

Following Nijjar's murder, a serious diplomatic dispute arose between Canada and India. Then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that Canadian investigators were investigating credible allegations of potential involvement by Indian government agents. India, however, has consistently dismissed the allegations as baseless and ridiculous from the outset. The new indictment filed by the US does not allege any involvement or knowledge of the Indian government in Nijjar's murder. US officials also did not claim any involvement or knowledge of the incident by the Indian government during a press conference.

Nijjar was a Canadian citizen. He was campaigning for an independent Khalistan state separate from India. The Indian government had previously listed him as a terrorist. This charge is part of a larger investigation jointly conducted by the US and Canada. In that investigation, charges related to extortion, drug trafficking, and organized crime have been filed against 37 individuals associated with three organized criminal groups based in India. US officials stated that 24 of them have been arrested or are already in custody.

Earlier, in May 2024, Canadian police had arrested and charged four Indian nationals in connection with Nijjar's murder. Canadian police stated that the investigation into whether they had any connection with Indian government agencies is still ongoing. The US indictment does not name the individuals accused of actually firing the shots, referring to them only as co-conspirators.