Alleged Bishnoi gang member sentenced for shooting at Punjabi musician’s B.C. home

AP Dhillon performs during the Juno Awards in Edmonton on March 13, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Timothy Matwey

A man with alleged ties to the India-based Bishnoi gang has been sentenced to six years in prison for his role in a shooting and arson attack at the Vancouver Island home of a well-known Punjabi musician.

Abjeet Kingra was sentenced in a Victoria provincial courtroom on Sept. 26, where the presiding judge found the 26-year-old man was acting on the instructions of the Bishnoi gang “to commit targeted, criminal acts in Canada,” police said Wednesday.

Kingra was arrested in Ontario on Oct. 30, 2024, nearly two months after the shooting and arson attack in the 3300 block of Ravenwood Road in Colwood, west of Victoria.

Kingra was found guilty of one count of arson damaging property and one count of recklessly discharging a firearm.

Videos of the attack, including one apparently taken by the shooter, were shared widely on social media, showing at least 14 gunshots fired into the home owned by musician AP Dhillon.

Dhillon was unharmed in the attack, posting a message on social media later that day saying: “I’m safe. My people are safe. Thank you to everyone who reached out. Your support means everything.”

Investigators say a second suspect in the attack, 24-year-old Vikram Sharma, is still at large and is believed to have fled to India.

Earlier this week, the Bishnoi gang, which has been accused of orchestrating a campaign of violence and intimidation against Sikhs in Canada, was declared a terrorist entity by the federal government.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced the designation Monday, saying it will help Canadian security, intelligence and police agencies crack down on the group.

“The Bishnoi gang engages in murder, shootings and arson, and generates terror through extortion and intimidation,” the minister said in a release.

“They create a climate of insecurity in these communities by targeting them, their prominent community members, businesses, and cultural figures.”

Kingra was held in police custody since his arrest last year while awaiting trial. The judge credited him 489 days for time already served in custody, reducing the remainder of his sentence to about four and a half years, police said.

Sharma, his alleged accomplice in the attack, is described as a South Asian man standing 5’9” tall and weighing approximately 181 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes, according to investigators.

“The sentencing of Abjeet Kingra is the result of months of dedicated investigative work by our officers,” West Shore RCMP Insp. Stephen Rose said in a statement Wednesday.

“While we are pleased to see accountability in this case, our work is not done. We remain committed to locating Vikram Sharma and bringing him before the courts.”

Anyone with information related to Sharma’s whereabouts is asked to contact the West Shore RCMP at 250-474-2264, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

RELATED STORIES:

• Suspect arrested in shooting at musician AP Dhillon’s B.C. home, 2nd suspect likely fled to India: RCMP
• Gunshots fired into B.C. home of Punjabi music star AP Dhillon
• No injuries as South Asian radio station sprayed with bullets in Surrey, B.C.