US charges Lawrence Bishnoi in 2023 killing of Sikh leader Nijjar

U.S. authorities charged Lawrence Bishnoi, the imprisoned head of an Indian criminal gang, and his North American deputy Tuesday with directing the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. The federal indictment was unsealed in Los Angeles.

Who is Lawrence Bishnoi and what is he accused of?

Bishnoi, 33, is an imprisoned gang leader from India's Punjab state who directed his criminal enterprise from his prison cell. Prosecutors accuse him of ordering political assassinations, murders, shootings, extortion, kidnappings, drug trafficking and human smuggling across multiple continents. His organization has been designated a terrorist enterprise in Canada.

What does the indictment allege about Nijjar's killing?

The indictment alleges that Bishnoi and Satinderjeet Singh, known as Goldy Brar, ordered the shooting of Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. Nijjar was a Canadian citizen and prominent supporter of the Khalistan movement, which seeks an independent Sikh homeland. His killing set off a major diplomatic dispute between Canada and India.

What was the broader crackdown announced alongside the charges?

The charges were part of an international operation targeting Indian organized crime groups. Officials said the investigation led to 24 arrests, including some tied to Nijjar's assassination. Law enforcement in the United States, Canada and Europe worked together to probe syndicates allegedly involved in racketeering, targeted killings, extortion and drug trafficking.

Dozens of people were charged in the broader operation, including two men accused of running global criminal organizations while imprisoned in India. All but 10 of those charged are in custody.

Who else was charged in the case?

Also charged is Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, 38, of Punjab, an imprisoned gangster described by authorities as a former associate and later rival of Bishnoi. Officials said Bhagwanpuria built a separate criminal gang with more than 1,000 members across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. He and 16 other defendants face charges tied to murder-for-hire, drug trafficking, kidnappings, extortion and weapons trafficking.

In a separate case tied to the operation, Ravinder Singh Dhanda, 57, of Vancouver, was among 11 people charged in a large-scale drug smuggling network. Authorities alleged the group imported hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine each week from the United States into Canada.

What have officials said about the operation?

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said transnational criminal gangs that spread fear, drugs and violence will face the full force of justice and the federal government. Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said the coordinated operation struck at three brutal transnational organizations that had terrorized families and stolen lives through violence in the United States and abroad.