The United States has charged imprisoned Indian gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi and his alleged North American deputy, Satinderjeet Singh, over the 2023 killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
According to a federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles, the two men allegedly directed the murder of Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. The case had previously triggered a major diplomatic dispute between Canada and India.
Indictment details the alleged murder plot
The indictment alleges that Bishnoi coordinated the operation from an Indian jail cell by using smuggled mobile phones. Prosecutors also claim he provided a co-conspirator with Nijjar’s photograph and several addresses to facilitate the killing.
According to the indictment, Satinderjeet Singh, also known as “Goldy Brar,” managed the criminal group’s North American operations. Authorities identified him as a childhood friend of Bishnoi and an alleged senior member of the “Lawrence Bishnoi Organised Crime Group.”
Case intensified India-Canada diplomatic tensions
Nijjar’s killing led to a diplomatic crisis after then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadian authorities were “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the murder.
However, New Delhi rejected those allegations and described them as absurd.
The newly unsealed US indictment does not accuse the Indian government of directing or participating in the killing.
Furthermore, neither First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli nor other officials speaking at a Los Angeles press conference alleged that Indian authorities were involved in or aware of the murder.
Nijjar had been designated a terrorist by India
Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a Canadian citizen who publicly supported the creation of Khalistan, an independent Sikh homeland carved out of India.
The Indian government had designated him a terrorist before his death.
Charges linked to wider organized crime investigation
The indictment forms part of a broader investigation conducted jointly by US and Canadian authorities against organized crime groups operating across North America.
Authorities charged 37 defendants linked to three India-based organized crime networks with offences including racketeering, extortion, and drug trafficking.
Officials said 24 of those individuals have either been arrested or were already in custody.
Although the indictment names Bishnoi and Singh, it does not identify the alleged shooters. Instead, prosecutors referred to them as co-conspirators.
Canadian investigation remains separate
Canadian police arrested and charged four Indian nationals in May 2024 over Nijjar’s killing.
Investigators have also been examining whether those suspects had any links to the Indian government.
However, the US indictment does not make any allegation connecting the Indian government to the crime.
Relations between Canada and India improve
Despite the continuing investigation, diplomatic relations between Ottawa and New Delhi have improved under Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Earlier this year, Carney visited India on his first official trip and opened discussions on a bilateral trade agreement expected to conclude by November.
However, some Sikh organizations have criticized the Canadian government’s approach.
They argue Ottawa has failed to hold India accountable and has not done enough to protect Sikh Canadians from foreign interference and transnational repression.
