US seeks extradition of Lawrence Bishnoi, Gurinderjit Nagra in transnational crime case

The United States Department of Justice has confirmed it will seek the extradition of Lawrence Bishnoi and Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, according to an official from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Bishnoi is accused of ordering the 2023 killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, as well as involvement in other crimes in the United States. Nagra is wanted for his alleged role in a $4,00,000 extortion case in the U.S., with prosecutors claiming he collaborated with the Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gangs to target families based in America.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was fatally shot on June 18, 2023, in Surrey, British Columbia. The extradition requests come amid a broader crackdown on India-based transnational organised crime groups. In a joint operation earlier this week, law enforcement agencies from the United States, Canada, and Europe arrested 24 individuals—11 of them in California—in connection with three such groups charged with a range of criminal activities. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 37 people in total under ‘Operation Hardball’.

Ciaran McEvoy, Public Affairs Officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California, confirmed the extradition plans in an email response to PTI, stating: “Yes. Beyond that, we have no additional comment.” The U.S. has also charged Bishnoi’s associate Goldy Brar with ordering Nijjar’s assassination. The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Brar’s arrest.