US charges Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar over Hardeep Nijjar murder

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 8, 2026 10:06 IST

The United States has charged jailed Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his aide Satinderjeet Singh, alias Goldy Brar, with ordering the assassination of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, according to a federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

The action came as US, Canadian and European agencies announced a coordinated crackdown on three India-based transnational organised crime groups. In an operation called Hardball, 24 people were arrested, including 11 in California, while 37 defendants were charged across three indictments unsealed on Tuesday.

According to the indictment, Bishnoi ordered the killing of 45-year-old Nijjar, identified in court papers as HSN. Bishnoi has been in an Indian jail since 2015. The FBI also announced a reward of USD 50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Brar, who remains at large. The FBI said a federal arrest warrant for Singh Brar was issued on July 1, 2026, in the US District Court, Central District of California, after he was charged with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Interfere and Attempted Interference with Commerce by Extortion, and Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances. The FBI said Singh has ties to Sacramento and Fresno in California, as well as Canada, India and Mexico.

The US Justice Department said the action followed a years-long federal investigation into Indian crime syndicates involved in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion and cross-border narcotics trafficking, with a particular impact on the Indian diaspora. It said Bishnoi had delegated control of his enterprise to trusted lieutenants and regional leaders, including Brar as the North American leader, Rohit Godara, 37, of Rajasthan, as the European leader, and Sukhraj Singh Kang, 58, of Punjab. According to the indictment, Brar and Godara effectively spoke for Bishnoi and helped direct the actions of members and associates of the Bishnoi enterprise worldwide, including acts of violence in the United States, Canada and elsewhere. Court documents also said Bishnoi, Brar, Godara and others extorted victims through WhatsApp and other encrypted messaging applications by threatening violence against the victims or their families.

Of the 24 people arrested in the coordinated action, besides the 11 in California, one was arrested in Indiana and one in Georgia. Three defendants were arrested in Canada, one in Spain, and seven were already in custody. The agencies are also looking for 10 fugitives, including seven in the United States, two in India and one in Europe. Those arrested in the United States are expected to make their initial appearances on Wednesday in federal court.

At a news conference in Los Angeles, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said, "Working together, law enforcement in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia are determined to target and dismantle these criminal organisations wherever they operate. There is no safe harbour for these thugs." Patrick Grandy, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, said, "Today's coordinated operation strikes at the heart of three brutal transnational organisations that have terrorised families, exploited communities, and stolen lives through ruthless acts of violence in the US and abroad." Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Mike Duheme said the agencies had disrupted the operations of "organised criminals who used murder, cruelty and fear to extort and control people in both Canada and the United States" and added, "We won't pause for long to reflect on the work it took to get this job done - we'll keep doing what we do best to preserve public safety in Canada, in the United States, and around the world."

Nijjar's killing had strained India-Canada ties after then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sought to link the government in New Delhi to the murder, a charge India dismissed as "absurd" and "motivated". The latest US action names Bishnoi and Brar in the case, while also tying the killing to a wider investigation into India-based organised crime networks operating across several countries.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends