US charges Indian crime leader in Sikh activist’s assassination

Law enforcement agencies across the United States, Canada and Europe have coordinated a major operation targeting international criminal networks with alleged ties to organized crime in India. The effort resulted in charges against 37 defendants associated with three separate syndicates, according to US Attorney Bill Essayli. Authorities continue to search for additional fugitives across multiple jurisdictions.

At the centre of the investigation is the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a 45-year-old Sikh activist shot outside a temple in Canada where he served as president. Lawrence Bishnoi, 33, and Satinderjeet Singh have been accused of orchestrating the assassination. Bishnoi is in custody, though Singh remains at large. The killing triggered a diplomatic crisis between Ottawa and New Delhi after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested credible evidence of Indian government involvement.

Nijjar was a prominent figure in the Khalistan movement, which advocates for an independent Sikh homeland, and was organizing an unofficial referendum through the organization Sikhs For Justice. He held Canadian citizenship despite being born in India and was wanted by Indian authorities at the time of his death. According to prosecutors, Bishnoi's organization routinely targeted religious, social and political leaders in exchange for payment.

The investigation reveals that some defendants exploited relationships with corrupt officials in India to persecute rivals or individuals suspected of cooperating with law enforcement. The operation underscores broader tensions between India and Canada over Sikh diaspora activism, with Canada hosting the world's largest Sikh population outside India.