New Delhi: Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has been indicted in the United States for allegedly ordering the June 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. The indictment marks the first time members of the India-based Bishnoi gang have faced criminal charges in connection with the killing, which led to a major diplomatic dispute between India and Canada.
The charges form part of three indictments unsealed by the US Department of Justice under a coordinated international operation, codenamed "Operation Hard Ball", targeting India-based transnational organised crime networks. The operation involved law enforcement agencies from the United States, Canada and Spain, resulting in the arrest of 24 people across the three countries and charges against 37 individuals, The Wire reported.
According to one of the indictments, Bishnoi and his alleged North American associate, Satinderjeet Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, ordered Nijjar's assassination. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. The indictment identifies the victim by his initials and alleges that the killing was carried out as part of the Bishnoi criminal enterprise.
In a separate statement, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the three criminal networks named in the indictments had been involved in extortion, drug trafficking, kidnapping and other violent crimes, including Nijjar's killing in Canada and the United States.
Canadian authorities have stated that they have found no evidence linking Indian government officials to the crimes outlined in the indictments and said New Delhi had cooperated with the investigation.
US prosecutors alleged that Bishnoi continued to direct the criminal organisation from prison by using contraband mobile phones and internet-based communication devices. They further alleged that Goldy Brar acted as the North American head of the organisation, helping coordinate its activities and directing members involved in violent crimes in Canada and the United States.
The indictment also alleges that the Bishnoi organisation targeted prominent religious, social and political figures to create fear within the Indian diaspora and facilitate extortion.
US prosecutors had previously referred to Nijjar's killing in a separate murder-for-hire case involving Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. In an October 2024 superseding indictment, they alleged that accused Nikhil Gupta told an undercover US agent that Nijjar had also been a target and suggested there were several others, adding that there was no longer any need to delay plans to kill Pannun. Prosecutors further alleged that former Indian intelligence officer Vikas Yadav later described Pannun as the next priority. Gupta has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing in a New York court.
The latest US indictment does not allege any involvement by Indian government officials. RCMP Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland also said investigators had found no evidence implicating Indian officials and noted that the Indian government had cooperated with the investigation.
Nijjar's killing sparked a diplomatic crisis in September 2023 after then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament that Canadian security agencies were investigating credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the assassination. India rejected those allegations as baseless, leading to reciprocal diplomatic expulsions.
Relations between the two countries have gradually improved since Mark Carney assumed office in 2025, with both governments restoring diplomatic personnel and resuming high-level engagements.
The indictment comes months after Canadian broadcaster Global News reported, citing an internal RCMP assessment obtained through access-to-information legislation, that the Bishnoi gang had allegedly acted on behalf of the Indian government. India dismissed the report and reiterated that it had no involvement in criminal activities on Canadian soil.
In September 2025, Canada designated the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity under its Criminal Code. The designation described the organisation as spreading terror through extortion and intimidation, particularly in areas with large Indian diaspora communities, but did not allege any connection with the Indian government.
An official familiar with the matter said India's longstanding position was that Nijjar's killing resulted from rivalry between criminal gangs rather than state involvement.
The US Department of Justice said 13 defendants were arrested in the United States, three in Canada and one in Spain, while seven others were already in custody. Authorities are seeking 10 remaining fugitives, including two believed to be in India.
Bishnoi, who remains in an Indian prison, is among those the United States intends to extradite. However, under Indian law, extradition is generally not permitted while a person is facing ongoing criminal proceedings in the country.