US Charges Bishnoi, Brar with Ordering Nijjar's Assassination

The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has unsealed federal indictments charging jailed Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close associate Satinderjeet Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, with allegedly ordering the assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, in June 2023. This significant development comes as part of a major international crackdown on India-based transnational organised crime networks, dubbed 'Operation Hard Ball.' The indictments, unsealed on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Los Angeles, mark the first time US authorities have directly linked Bishnoi and Brar to Nijjar's killing, a murder that severely strained diplomatic relations between India and Canada. According to the federal prosecutors, Bishnoi, currently incarcerated in an Indian prison (specifically, a high-security prison in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, at one point), allegedly directed his sprawling criminal enterprise from his jail cell using contraband mobile phones and internet-based communication devices. The US DoJ alleges that Bishnoi personally provided one of his co-conspirators with a photograph of Nijjar and multiple addresses linked to him to facilitate the assassination. Goldy Brar, identified as Bishnoi's North American lieutenant, is accused of coordinating the gang's overseas operations and communicating with operatives on the ground in Canada to execute the plan. Brar remains at large, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a reward of $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and extradition. The charges stem from a years-long federal investigation, 'Operation Hard Ball,' which targeted Indian crime syndicates involved in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion, transnational narcotics trafficking, and other organised crimes. The operation resulted in the arrest of 24 people across the US, Canada, and Spain, and charges against a total of 37 defendants across three federal indictments. These groups are accused of operating across North America, Europe, and Asia, impacting Indian diaspora communities worldwide. Crucially, the US indictments *do not* allege any involvement by the Indian government or any Indian official in directing, facilitating, or participating in Nijjar's killing. This contrasts sharply with earlier allegations made by then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September 2023, who stated that Canadian security agencies were pursuing 'credible allegations' of a potential link between agents of the Indian government and Nijjar's assassination. India vehemently denied these accusations, calling them 'absurd' and politically motivated. Moreover, senior Canadian police officials, including Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Lisa Moreland, have stated that 'Operation Hard Ball' has yielded no evidence linking Indian government officials to the 2023 killing of Nijjar. This distinction is highly significant, as it places organised crime figures at the centre of the killing in the US legal framework, rather than a state actor, which could help de-escalate diplomatic tensions between India and Canada. Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and a prominent figure in the Khalistan movement, was shot dead outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023. The Indian government had previously designated Nijjar as a terrorist. The indictment also highlights the broader criminal activities of the Bishnoi enterprise, including extortion schemes targeting prominent religious, social, and political leaders, drug trafficking, kidnappings, and weapons trafficking. It further alleges that Bishnoi cultivated a public image as a 'patriot,' 'nationalist,' and deeply religious individual through social media and media interviews to recruit members. The scope of the Bishnoi gang's operations extended well beyond India, with networks allegedly established across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia, boasting thousands of members. The indictment also connects Bishnoi's network to a separate, previously prosecuted plot to assassinate another Sikh separatist, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in New York, a plot thwarted by the FBI. While Nikhil Gupta pleaded guilty in the Pannun case and was alleged to have conspired with an Indian government official, the latest Bishnoi indictment focuses solely on the criminal enterprise. This comprehensive US action underscores the serious nature of transnational organised crime and its far-reaching impact.

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