Bishnoi gang: Experts say fear of Indian syndicate has existed for years in Canada

Former B.C. Solicitor General Kash Heed listens as RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk speaks at a press conference in Revelstoke, B.C. on Sunday, March 14, 2010. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Daniel Hayduk

Alleged members of an Indian gang and its leader have been sending shivers down the spines of members of the South Asian diaspora in Canada for years, says a city councillor in Richmond, B.C.

Kash Heed said the Bishnoi gang, led by Lawrence Bishnoi, gained notoriety and instilled fear among Indian Canadians well before the RCMP accused the syndicate this week of orchestrating violent crimes on Canadian soil.

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Mounties have alleged Indian diplomats shared information about Sikh separatists in Canada with the Indian government and top Indian officials then passed information to the Bishnoi.

"(Lawrence Bishnoi's) reputation precedes him," said Heed, also a former B.C. solicitor general and a West Vancouver police chief, in an interview.

"He is an individual that is prone to violence in India. A couple of years ago, the Bishnoi gang really started to hit the airwaves and people (were) concerned about it ... a lot of the diaspora know about Lawrence Bishnoi and his activities (in India)."

On Monday, the federal government expelled six Indian diplomats after the RCMP said it had credible evidence Indian agents played a role in crimes, including the killings of Canadian citizens and extortion.

"What we've seen, from an RCMP perspective, is the use of organized crime elements and it's been publicly attributed and claimed by one organized crime group in particular, which is the Bishnoi group," said RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brigitte Gauvin in a news conference Monday.

"And we believe that group is connected to agents of the government of India."

India has insisted it hasn't been given evidence of government involvement, and it ordered six Canadian diplomats to leave India.

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Heed said he can't speculate about how the gang and diplomats might be involved in crimes, including the killing last year of activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, leader of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Surrey, B.C.

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But he said violent extortion cases connected to Bishnoi have been well documented by Canadian and Indian investigators in recent years.

Ritesh Lakhi agrees. The Indian journalist, who was a reporter for an ethnic B.C. radio show before moving to India, has covered the rise of the Bishnoi gang.

"Bloodbaths involving Bishnoi gang members have been happening for years now in India," Lakhi said in an interview.

"Now this whole gang phenomenon has attracted global attention."

In December 2023, police in Abbotsford, B.C., said they were investigating extortions involving affluent members of the South Asian community. They said suspects were believed to have ties to the Bishnoi.

Early this year, police in Ontario and Alberta said they were investigating similar extortion schemes, including some that saw bullets fired at businesses.

Heed said he knows one B.C. businessman who lost $3 million because of threats from people who claimed to be members of the Bishnoi.

The National Investigation Agency, India's counterterrorism law enforcement agency, said in 2023 that Lawrence Bishnoi operates his "terror-syndicate from jails in different states" in India and through an associate in Canada.

Lakhi said the gangster was born in the northern Indian state of Punjab and immersed himself in violence while studying law. He was involved in street fights and arsons with other student leaders over university politics.

During one brawl, Lakhi said Bishnoi's cousin was murdered and it's believed Bishnoi shot the killer in revenge a year later.

Bishnoi also continued committing less serious crimes, including arsons and extortions, and was in and out of jail. Lakhi said he shared cells with notorious gang members and eventually took over a group that had lost its leader.

Bishnoi has been in jail since 2015, said Lakhi, and charges against him continue to pile up. Bishnoi is accused of orchestrating violent extortions while behind bars with a cellphone.

"This can be construed to be one of the factors that gives credence to the theory that the Indian state may be protecting Lawrence Bishnoi," Lakhi said.

He said Bishnoi has recently gained more notoriety by threatening to kill beloved Indian celebrities, political figures and business leaders.

Lakhi said the Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility last week in the shooting of a senior politician in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, before a key state election.

In 2022, Bishnoi was accused of being behind the violent shooting of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala, who briefly lived in Canada.

Lakhi alleged Bishnoi had at that time already expanded his network into Canada, noting a brother of an ally in India had moved to B.C. and helped recruit vulnerable Indians.

A 2021 court document says a student who was moving to Canada on a permit in 2017 requested refugee protection because he had been contacted and asked to join the gang and sell drugs.

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The document says the student was beaten by Bishnoi gang members before he left for Canada. His application was denied.

Heed said he has heard of other cases of Canadian gangsters with no connection to Bishnoi referencing the group because of the fear its name creates.

"And now, the RCMP have raised (Bishnoi's) profile significantly here in Canada," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2024.