Is the Lawrence Bishnoi gang behind Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing in Canada?

Canadian authorities have apprehended individuals believed to be part of a suspected hit team, assigned to assassinate prominent Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, last June, as per information obtained by CBC News.

The crime has fractured the diplomatic relationship between India and Canada after the latter accused New Delhi of involvement in the killing.

Additionally, sources closely involved in the probe informed CBC that law enforcement is actively exploring potential connections to three other homicides in Canada, including the fatal shooting of an 11-year-old boy in Edmonton.

The alleged hit squad members are purported to have assumed various roles such as shooters, drivers, and spotters on the day Nijjar was slain at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, according to insider accounts.

The sources disclosed that investigators had identified the alleged hit squad members in Canada several months ago and have been conducting intensive surveillance on them since.

According to documents submitted in a Surrey court on Friday,
Kamalpreet Singh, Karanpreet Singh, and Karan Brar
are facing charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy in connection with the Nijjar case. All three individuals appeared before a judge virtually on Friday.

What do we know about the three arrested individuals?

The three alleged hitmen in their 20s, all Indian nationals, arrived in Canada several years ago, reported CBC.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) identified the men arrested on Friday by their legal names, acknowledging they may also use shorter names or aliases:

The individuals in question are Indian citizens who had been residing in Edmonton. According to sources briefed by CBC, investigators had located these three individuals in Canada several months ago and had been closely monitoring them.

Reportedly, the men entered Canada on temporary visas, with some holding student visas. However, it is indicated that none of them engaged in educational pursuits during their time in Canada, nor did any obtain permanent residency status.

The RCMP stated that these men arrived in the country separately over a span of three to five years. However, during a news conference on Friday, they declined to provide further details regarding the immigration statuses of the suspects.

Sources indicate that members of the alleged hit squad assumed various roles such as shooters, drivers, and spotters on the day Nijjar was killed.

Each of the three individuals is facing charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. According to court documents, police assert that the men collaborated with others to devise plans to kill
Nijjar
in Surrey and Edmonton between 1 May, 2023, and 18 June, 2023.

Are the men related to the Bishnoi Gang?

Sources close to the investigation have said that all the men arrested on Friday are purported associates of a criminal organisation, reportedly linked to the infamous Punjabi gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is presently incarcerated in India.

Bishnoi has been accused of various crimes, including the shooting death of Punjabi singer-politician
Sidhu Moose Wala
, a former resident of Brampton, Ontario, in Punjab in May 2022. Additionally, Bishnoi faces charges related to drug trafficking and extortion.

Also Read:
Gangs of Canada: How the western country has become a haven for Punjabi gangsters

According to media reports, Lawrence Bishnoi, along with another incarcerated Indian gangster, claimed responsibility on social media for Sukhdool Singh Gill’s killing last September. They described it as retaliation for a prior gang-related murder in India.

Gill was one of Punjab’s most wanted men, facing allegations of extortion and facilitating financial transactions to procure weapons for gang members. Indian law enforcement has openly associated him with multiple murders and other grave offences.

India has persistently alleged that Punjabi gangsters utilise Canada as a hub to extort funds from business owners and other individuals in India. They reportedly rely on a network of underpaid gunmen to serve as collectors and enforcers back in India.

Who is Lawrence Bishnoi?

Born in 1993 in Punjab, Lawrence Bishnoi spent his formative years in Abohar until 2010 before relocating to Chandigarh to enroll at DAV College. By 2011, he had become a part of the Panjab University Campus Students Council, where he crossed paths with gangster Goldy Brar. Together, Bishnoi and Brar delved into university politics and began engaging in criminal activities within the campus.

With over two dozen criminal cases on his record, including charges of murder and extortion, Bishnoi vehemently denies all accusations against him. His gang boasts affiliation with more than 700 shooters nationwide.

According to a report by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Bishnoi and his associate,
Goldy Brar
, are linked to Pro-Khalistan organisations.

Jail authorities report that Bishnoi utilises voice-over IP calls to communicate with his associates outside the prison.

Do Bishnoi’s criminal activities cross borders?

As of 2022, Bishnoi’s criminal activities extended across five countries: India, Canada, Dubai, Austria, and Mexico, a report in India Today said. Within India, Bishnoi’s gang maintains operations in seven states: Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh.

The gang’s operations are entirely digital, with approximately 1000 individuals involved, including sharpshooters, criminals, and suppliers. Target selection occurs via audio conferences conducted from virtual numbers.

Virtual phone numbers, which are not tied to a specific location and can be used on any phone without requiring a SIM card or physical address, facilitate these communications using internet technology.

Also Read:
How Canada’s charge of India’s role in Nijjar killing has fallen flat

Lawrence Bishnoi serves as the mastermind of the criminal organisation, with Goldy Brar acting as its backbone. Sachin Bishnoi, Lawrence’s cousin, oversees recruitment and target planning, while Anmol from Austria and Vikram Brar from Canada manage the gang’s financial transactions.

In the hierarchy, Lawrence determines the targets and issues initial directives to Sampat Nehra. Subsequently, his brothers and associates abroad make threatening calls to the targets. Sources indicate that Lawrence typically does not directly communicate with the shooters but delegates this task to other intermediaries.