US Charges Indian Criminal Gang in Nijjar Murder Case
US charges Indian criminal gang leader – Authorities in the United States have formally charged a prominent Indian criminal gang leader for his role in organizing the murder of Canadian Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The announcement came during a joint press conference on Tuesday, where representatives from the FBI and Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) outlined the results of Operation Hard Ball. This multiyear federal investigation has led to 37 individuals being charged for murder-for-hire conspiracies, violent shootings, extortion, and drug trafficking across multiple continents.
According to law enforcement officials, the charged operatives have “inflicted pain and cruelty on people, victims around the globe” through their extensive criminal enterprises. While many suspects are already in custody, authorities continue pursuing seven fugitives located in the United States, two in India, and one in Europe. The operation represents a coordinated international effort to dismantle transnational criminal networks.
The Nijjar Assassination Takes Center Stage
The most prominent indictment targets Lawrence Bishnoi, the imprisoned head of an Indian criminal gang, who faces charges for orchestrating the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar from behind the bars of a Delhi prison cell. Nijjar, a well-known Sikh campaigner and president of a Canadian temple, was fatally shot in 2023 during a brazen daylight shooting outside the religious site where he served.
Police have also charged Nijjar’s childhood friend, Satinderjeet Singh, who operates under the alias Goldy Brar, for his involvement in the killing. Singh currently remains a fugitive in the United States. Investigators allege that Bishnoi directed the entire operation using smuggled mobile phones and provided a co-conspirator with photographs of Nijjar along with his known addresses to facilitate the assassination.
Diplomatic Tensions and Political Fallout
The high-profile shooting sparked significant tensions between the Canadian and Indian governments. At the time, then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated there were “credible allegations” indicating Indian government involvement in Nijjar’s death. Nijjar was a leading figure in the movement to establish an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan. The outspoken activist, born in India and a Canadian citizen, had previously been labeled a terrorist by Indian authorities who offered a substantial reward for information leading to his arrest.
Sikh diaspora activism has long been a source of diplomatic friction between the two nations. Canada hosts the largest population of Sikhs outside of India, and India has repeatedly accused the country of tolerating “terrorists and extremists.” In response, Canada recently designated the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity.
Activists Voice Concerns About Government Priorities
Moninder Singh, a friend of Nijjar and another activist who has faced repeated death threats, expressed his views in an interview. He stated that the charges sent a strong message about the importance of public safety. However, he added that he fears that shifting narratives about the role India’s government has played have emboldened India to crush dissent anywhere in the world.
“The omission of state-level actors like India [from investigation by Canada] suggests that bilateral trade deals and geopolitical partnerships are being prioritised over the uniform protection of Canadian citizens from foreign interference and transnational repression,” he said.
Singh revealed that he had received four warnings that he described as “imminent assassination by India and its proxies” from Canadian police, with the most recent warning including his wife and two children. “Omitting or erasing India from this equation is giving them almost a green light to continue to hunt Sikh activists advocating for self-determination in the form of Khalistan,” he said.
Continuing Investigation and Legal Proceedings
India’s envoy to Ottawa, Dinesh Patnaik, has maintained that India never conducted foreign interference in Canada. Nevertheless, questions over India’s role in the 2023 assassination have persisted after reports that an official in the country’s Vancouver consulate helped supply information on Nijjar. Canadian police believe the consular employee was also an intelligence officer with India’s external intelligence agency.
In June, Canada’s spy agency stated that Nijjar’s murder signalled a “significant escalation in India’s repression efforts,” reflecting a broader, transnational campaign by Delhi to threaten dissidents. India and Canada previously expelled diplomats from the other country amid the international dispute.
In May 2025, four Indian nationals were charged in connection with the murder plot, further expanding the scope of the US charges Indian criminal gang case. Legal proceedings are expected to continue as investigators work to establish the full extent of international involvement in the assassination.
