India has reaffirmed its commitment to combating terrorism and transnational organised crime, following the indictment of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his associate Goldy Brar in connection with the killing of pro-Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Delhi has consistently maintained that transnational organised crime poses a serious threat, and the country remains committed to working with its partners to address this issue.
The US Department of Justice recently charged Bishnoi and Brar with ordering Nijjar’s assassination, which occurred in June 2023 outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia. The case had led to a rift between India and Canada, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleging a potential link between Indian government agents and the killing. However, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has stated that there is no evidence to suggest the involvement of Indian government officials.
The RCMP’s remarks are consistent with the US indictment, which attributes responsibility to the Lawrence Bishnoi organised crime group. India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, noted that the country’s agencies have worked closely with the US in combating terrorism and transnational organised crime, and this cooperation continues to deepen.
The indictment of Bishnoi and Brar is part of a larger operation, ‘Operation Hardball,’ which targeted three Indian crime syndicates involved in transnational crimes. The operation resulted in the arrest of 24 members of these syndicates, who face charges of targeted killings, shootings, extortion, and trafficking of narcotics across international borders.
The diplomatic ties between India and Canada had been strained following Trudeau’s allegations, but efforts have been made to insulate the bilateral ties from the investigations and judicial process into Nijjar’s killing. India has denied the allegations as absurd and baseless, and the country remains committed to working with its partners to address the threat of transnational organised crime.
