Canada lists the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organisation, India declines to comment
The Canadian government has listed the powerful India-based criminal network as a terrorist group. The decision follows a long trail of shootings and extortions against members of the Sikh diaspora, and comes as Ottawa attempts to restore cooperation with New Delhi following tensions over the murder of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canadian authorities accuse the gang of acting as a tool of intimidation, with connections to Indian intelligence, a charge New Delhi vehemently denies.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Canada's Minister of Public Safety, Gary Anandasangaree, officially designated the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organisation on 29 September after years of criminal activity in the North American country.
The decision gives Canadian authorities the power to freeze the group's assets, block its funding, and prosecute its members under anti-terrorism legislation.
According to the Department of Public Safety, “The Bishnoi Gang is a transnational criminal organization operating primarily out of India. They have a presence in Canada and are active in areas with significant diaspora communities.
“The Bishnoi Gang engages in murder, shootings and arson, and generates terror through extortion and intimidation. [. . .]
“Listing the Bishnoi Gang will help Canadian security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies in combatting their crimes and making communities safer.”
The gang's leader, Lawrence Bishnoi, has been detained in India since 2015 for heading a criminal network of more than 700 members involved in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, extortion, and targeted killings.
Among the most high-profile cases blamed on the group are the assassinations of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022 and politician Baba Siddique in 2024. The gang also claimed responsibility for recent shootings in Canada.
In one of the most recent incidents, a gang member, Goldie Dhillon, claimed to have given the order to fire at three locations of Indian restaurant chain Ustaad G76 in Surrey, British Columbia.
In a Facebook post, Dhillon accused the owner, Sanjay Bajaj, of mistreating employees and withholding wages, threatening that “those who behave this way will face the same consequences.”
The restaurants, which were closed at the time of the attack, suffered some damage, but no one was reportedly injured.
The incident occurred just days after another shooting claimed by the group, in which a gang member known as Fateh Portugal posted videos claiming responsibility for three shots fired at the property of businessman Navi Tesi, who is accused of using Bishnoi's name to extort money.
The gang primarily targets wealthy members of Canada's South Asian community for extortion; in cities such as Brampton (ONT), Edmonton (AB), and Surrey (BC), Canadian police estimate that the group's activities have netted tens of millions of dollars.
Although in a prison interview, Bishnoi described himself as a Hindu nationalist who does not support the creation of Khalistan, the gang does not appear to have any specific religious affiliations.
Canadian police alleged that in recent years, Indian intelligence agencies have used the Bishnoi Gang to carry out assassinations and acts of intimidation against supporters of the Khalistan independence movement, which advocates for the creation of a separate country for the Sikh community in Punjab.
Ottawa has accused New Delhi of providing intelligence to criminal groups like the Bishnoi Gang to silence critics and opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government abroad, a charge India strongly denies.
For its part, the Indian government claims that Canada has ignored more than two dozen extradition requests involving gang members, continuing to protect individuals wanted for serious crimes.
Canadian authorities say to have a vast body of evidence, including evidence linking the Bishnoi gang to the 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar near Vancouver.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, had been listed as a terrorist by India for his activism in support of the cause of Khalistan, an issue that has far more support among the Sikh diaspora than in India. New Delhi has repeatedly denied its involvement in the murder.
The group's listing as a terrorist organisation not only allows for the seizure of assets and funds linked to the gang, but also strengthens law enforcement's ability to disrupt their recruitment, financing, and international movements.
This will give “us more powerful and effective tools to confront and put a stop to their crimes,” said Public Safety Minister Anandasangaree.
So far, Canadian police have arrested at least eight people, including three suspected of involvement in Nijjar's murder, as well as around 20 individuals accused of extortion.
The Ottawa-based World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) welcomed the government's decision but called for full accountability of the officials who allegedly commissioned or financed the violence against Sikhs in Canada.
“The WSO now calls on the Government of Canada to expose and sanction those Indian officials who have directed, financed, or facilitated this gang,” reads a statement by the organisation.
Relations between India and Canada have recently improved since the election of Mark Carney, Justin Trudeau's successor, in March.
At the G7 summit in June, Carney met with Prime Minister Modi to discuss the restoration of regular diplomatic relations, which had been put on ice in 2023 following the Nijjar shooting.
Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Advisor Nathalie Drouin confirmed that India is committed to cooperating with Canadian authorities in the ongoing investigation, emphasising that the two countries are maintaining an open dialogue on their respective security concerns.
India, however, has chosen not to publicly comment on Canada's decision.
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17/01/2023 18:30
12/04/2023 18:18
