US indictment details Lawrence Bishnoi gang's alleged role in Nijjar killing
The United States has unsealed indictments detailing the alleged role of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his criminal network in a transnational conspiracy that investigators say extends beyond India. The charges, filed in federal court, are part of a coordinated law enforcement action named 'Operation Hardball' involving agencies from the United States, Canada, and Europe.
According to the indictment unsealed on Tuesday, Lawrence Bishnoi is accused of leading a criminal organisation that allegedly carried out murder-for-hire plots, extortion, arms trafficking, and other organised crimes across multiple countries. Although Bishnoi has been in custody in India for years, U.S. authorities allege he continued to direct gang members through associates operating in India and abroad.
The indictments allege that the Bishnoi gang engaged in extortion schemes, international drug trafficking, operating a criminal enterprise involved in murder-for-hire, kidnappings, weapons trafficking, and cross-border organised crime.
Specifically, the indictment links the Bishnoi network to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Khalistani separatist, who was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. U.S. investigators allege that Bishnoi's network provided support for the conspiracy, with gang members helping carry out violent operations outside India. However, the indictment does not accuse Bishnoi of personally carrying out the operation but alleges his criminal organisation played a role through his associates.
The indictment states that Bishnoi ordered the killing of Nijjar, referred to as 'H.S.N.' in court documents. In total, 37 defendants are charged across three indictments, including two individuals who allegedly ran their global criminal syndicates while imprisoned in India: Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. Of those charged, 11 have been arrested in California, one in Indiana, one in Georgia, three in Canada, one in Spain, and seven were already in custody. Law enforcement is searching for 10 fugitives: seven in the United States, two in India, and one in Europe.
If convicted, many defendants face a mandatory minimum prison sentence ranging from 10 years to life, with a statutory maximum of life in federal prison.
The U.S. investigation expanded after authorities discovered the operation of a transnational network across several countries, including the United States, Canada, India, and the United Arab Emirates. The coordinated action, named 'Operation Hardball,' resulted in the arrest of 24 persons connected to three India-based transnational organised crime groups charged with a range of criminal acts, including Nijjar's assassination.
The killing of Nijjar had previously strained bilateral relations between India and Canada. Then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested a link between the Indian government and the murder, a charge India dismissed as 'absurd and motivated.' The U.S. indictment does not make any such allegation against the Indian government.
