US charges Bishnoi gang with murder plot against Salman Khan, extortion
The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has alleged that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi intended to murder a well-known Indian actor and television personality, identified by the initials S.K., as part of a campaign to promote his criminal enterprise and instil fear in the public. Though the DoJ's court records do not expand the name, the initials and details match threats made against actor Salman Khan in Mumbai between 2022 and 2026, media reports suggest.
On July 8, the DoJ announced indictments against three Punjab-linked transnational organised crime syndicates operating across India, Canada, the United States, and Europe. These include the Bishnoi syndicate. The DoJ stated that 37 people have been charged so far, with 24 defendants arrested in the U.S., Canada, and Spain. Law enforcement is seeking 10 fugitives — seven in the U.S., two in India, and one in Europe.
The charges were filed in a California court in February 2026, according to court records. The indictment alleges that recruitment coordinators for the Bishnoi gang lured impoverished minors in India by promising money, notoriety, and protection. Once recruited, new members received minimal compensation for criminal acts committed on behalf of the enterprise. Loyal members were sent abroad, including to the U.S. and Canada, on student or foreign worker visas — often containing fraudulent information — to assist the gang's criminal operations.
The DoJ described the Bishnoi organised crime group (OCG) as having a decentralised structure. With the exception of its leaders, members and associates often had limited information about the identities or backgrounds of others in the group. This structure protected the enterprise from criminal liability if a member was arrested and decided to cooperate with law enforcement.
The indictment relies heavily on evidence from Sukhraj Singh Kang, a senior India-based member who coordinated acts of violence in the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere. On January 25, 2025, Kang spoke to a person he believed was owed a debt of between $100,000 and $200,000. That person was actually a confidential informant working with law enforcement (CI-1). Kang agreed to assist CI-1 in extorting the debtor in exchange for a $16,000 fee. Investigators then provided a staged video purporting to show a shooting at the debtor's residence. Members of the alleged conspiracy believed the video was real and used it to intimidate the intended victim.
In reality, the supposed debtor was an undercover law-enforcement agent (UC-1). Over subsequent weeks, several accused — including Kang, Rajan Bhatti, Goldy Brar, Rohit Godara, Bhulwan, and Sumit — communicated directly with UC-1, demanding money and issuing threats. The conversations, in Punjabi and Hindi via WhatsApp and Signal, allowed investigators to document extortion demands, threats against family members, payment negotiations, and money-collection mechanisms. The operation culminated in controlled handovers of extortion money in California involving alleged associates of the Bishnoi network.
