US charges alleged Indian crime boss over killing of Sikh activist
Federal prosecutors said a cross-border operation targeted 37 defendants tied to Indian crime syndicates accused of violence, trafficking and murder.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
US prosecutors have charged Lawrence Bishnoi, the 33-year-old leader of an Indian criminal group, in connection with the 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, authorities said Tuesday. The case ties a broad organized-crime crackdown to an assassination that helped drive a diplomatic crisis between Ottawa and New Delhi.
US Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said the charges were part of a law enforcement operation involving agencies in the United States, Canada and Europe. He said 37 defendants were swept up in cases involving three Indian international crime syndicates accused of kidnappings, racketeering, extortion, firearms dealing, drug trafficking and murder.
Essayli announced the operation at FBI offices in Los Angeles alongside officials from the Los Angeles Police Department, the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Authorities said they were still seeking seven fugitives in the US, two in India and one in Europe.
Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said the groups had driven violence and fear in East Indian communities in California and overseas. Prosecutors said Bishnoi’s organization targeted prominent religious, social and political figures for violence in exchange for large payments.
Bishnoi and Satinderjeet Singh, described by authorities as his childhood friend, are accused of organizing Nijjar’s assassination, according to prosecutors. Authorities said Bishnoi is in custody, while Singh has not been arrested.
Nijjar was fatally shot in 2023 outside a Sikh temple in Canada where he served as president, authorities said. He was 45 and was known for his role in the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh homeland, according to officials and prior public accounts cited by authorities.
At the time of his death, Nijjar was helping organize an unofficial referendum among Sikh diaspora communities through Sikhs For Justice, according to authorities. He was born in India, held Canadian citizenship and was wanted by Indian authorities, who had offered a reward for information leading to his arrest.
The killing sharply worsened relations between Canada and India after then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were credible allegations linking the Indian government to Nijjar’s death. India and Canada later expelled each other’s diplomats during the dispute, according to officials from both countries.
Sikh diaspora activism has long strained relations between the two countries, Canadian and Indian officials have said. Canada has the largest Sikh population outside India, while India has repeatedly accused Canada of tolerating terrorists and extremists.
The indictments also accuse some defendants of using ties to corrupt local authorities in India to pursue rivals or people suspected of helping law enforcement, prosecutors said. Authorities said at least one defendant is accused of arranging criminal activity while held at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, though they did not say how he communicated without detection.
No attorney for Bishnoi was listed as of Tuesday afternoon, according to authorities. Essayli said the case showed law enforcement agencies in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia working together to target the criminal organizations.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.