Lawrence Bishnoi (File photo)
NEW DELHI: Canada govt Monday listed Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate as a “terrorist entity”. The tag that follows Royal Canadian Mounted Police claims, not substantiated yet, that Bishnoi hired the killers of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar allows Canadian cops to prosecute offences committed by the gang pertaining to financing, travel and recruitment. It means any assets owned by it in the country, like property, vehicles and money, can be frozen or seized.This comes at a time when the gang is facing a crackdown by Indian authorities, with several of its self-proclaimed members killed or injured in encounters.
Bishnoi ‘terror tag’ shows clout of Khalistani groups in Canada
Canada’s ‘terrorist’ tag on the Bishnoi gang shows the clout of pro-Khalistani Sikh groups in the country who have blamed him for organising the killing of Nijjar and his associates allegedly at the instance of Indian agencies. The development comes on a day external affairs minister S Jaishankar held talks with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand in New York. In 2023, former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau had claimed Canada had “credible evidence” of Indian agents’ role in Nijjar’s murder in British Columbia that June.
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It would now be an offence for anyone in Canada or Canadians abroad to knowingly deal with property owned or controlled by the Bishnoi group. “It is also an offence to directly or indirectly provide property knowing that it will be used by or benefit a terrorist group. Immigration and border officials can now inform decisions on admissibility to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,” a statement by govt said.It added that “the Bishnoi gang is a transnational criminal organisation operating primarily out of India. They have a presence in Canada and are active in areas with significant diaspora communities. The Bishnoi gang engages in murder, shootings and arson, and generates terror through extortion and intimidation.They create a climate of insecurity in these communities by targeting them, their prominent community members, businesses, and cultural figures.”This is the second instance after Dawood Ibrahim — the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, enlisted by Pakistan to hurt India through narco-terrorism, who was designated a terrorist by the UN as well as the US — that an Indian criminal gang has been designated a terrorist entity by a foreign govt.Lawrence Bishnoi is currently lodged in the Sabarmati jail in Gujarat. His associates Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara are handling the operations of the gang and claim to be operating independently.The move is believed to have been mounted by three recent murders, sources said. On May 14, a businessman named Harjeet Dhadda was shot multiple times in a parking area in Mississauga, Ontario. A month later, a businessman in Surrey, British Columbia, and another in Brampton were shot dead, allegedly by Bishnoi and Brar gang’s shooters.