Who is Lawrence Bishnoi? All about the gangster linked to Sidhu Moose Wala and Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder cases
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Who is Lawrence Bishnoi? All about the gangster linked to Sidhu Moose Wala and Hardeep Singh Nijjar murder cases")
Gangser Lawrence Bishnoi (L), Sidhu Moose Wala (R-top) and Hardeep Singh Nijjar (R- Bottom)
US prosecutors have charged jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close aide Goldy Brar over the 2023 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. But who is Bishnoi, and how did his criminal network grow into a global syndicate? All you need to know.
The United States on Tuesday (Jul 7) charged gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar for allegedly orchestrating the assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia, Canada, three years ago, as per an official statement issued by the Justice Department.
According to Federal prosecutors 24 people linked to "India-based organised crime groups" have been with charges of violent crimes, extortion plots, and international narcotics trafficking have been arrested in an operation named "Operation Hard Ball" carried out in the United States, Canada, and Europe, and a total of 37 defendants have been charged in three federal indictments.
Also read | India's big diplomatic win: Canada says 'no evidence' linking New Delhi to Nijjar killing
Who is Lawrence Bishnoi?
Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, is seen as India’s most notorious gangster. Born in 1993 in Punjab, Lawrence Bishnoi has been linked with several high-profile killings in India. He grew up in Abohar and later moved to Chandigarh in 2010 to attend DAV College, where he met gangster Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar. They both were involved in politics and criminal activities. Between 2010 and 2012, Bishnoi faced seven FIRs in Chandigarh, four of which he was acquitted of.
Though behind bars for nearly a decade, his network has been tied to high-profile killings, including Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022. Investigators say the group has expanded from campus-level racketeering to a global syndicate with links across India, Canada, and beyond.
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Is Bishnoi Gang a terrorist organisation?
Notably, last year, Canada became the first nation to designate the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organisation. At the time, officials said that the gang had been targeting Sikh diaspora leaders, businesses, and cultural figures in Canada, creating “a climate of insecurity.” A 2023 shooting attack on the Vancouver Island home of Punjabi-Canadian artist AP Dhillon and repeated extortion threats to community members were cited as examples of the gang’s reach.
Welcoming the terror list, the World Sikh Organization said it was a vital first step but warned that accountability must go further. “The true architects of this violence must also be held to account,” the group said.
Notably, India has not designated the Bishnoi Gang itself as a terrorist organisation, but it has legally declared its top individual leaders as terrorists.
