US charges Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar over Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 8, 2026 06:12 IST

The United States has charged jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his aide Satinderjeet Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, with ordering the assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. The charges are part of a wider crackdown by agencies in the US, Canada and Europe on three India-based transnational organised crime groups accused of crimes including targeted killings, extortion and narcotics trafficking.

In a coordinated action called Operation Hardball, authorities arrested 24 people, including 11 in California, and unsealed three indictments against 37 defendants on Tuesday. Officials said the investigation had run for years and focused on crime syndicates whose activities were especially felt across the Indian diaspora.

According to a federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles, Bishnoi ordered the killing of Nijjar, identified in court papers as 'H.S.N.', outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18 three years ago. Nijjar's killing had strained ties between India and Canada after then prime minister Justin Trudeau sought to link the government in New Delhi to the murder. India had rejected the allegations as “absurd and motivated”.

Of those arrested, 11 were held in California, one in Indiana and one in Georgia. Three defendants were arrested in Canada, one in Spain, and seven were already in custody. Agencies are also looking for 10 fugitives - seven in the US, two in India and one in Europe. Bishnoi is already in jail in India, while Brar remains at large. Those arrested in the US are expected to make their initial appearances in federal court later on Tuesday.

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 organizations wherever they operate. There is no safe harbor 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 organizations 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 “organized criminals who used murder, cruelty and fear to extort and control people in both Canada and the United States.” He 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.”

The case against Bishnoi and Brar is part of a broader multi-country operation in which investigators said they had moved against three India-linked organised crime groups, arrested 24 people, charged 37 defendants and continued their search for 10 more.

With PTI Inputs

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