A report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has claimed that the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang, accused of extortion and murder, is "acting on behalf of the Indian government".
The report, accessed by Canadian news organisation Global News, says that "The Bishnoi Crime Group is known to use violence to further their criminal enterprise, while acting on behalf of the Indian government".
Global News has claimed that the RCMP report mentioned the Bishnoi Gang's ties to the government of India "a half-dozen times in just three pages". The allegations come in the wake of a series of violent attacks in Canada attributed to the Bishnoi Gang.
Incidentally, the RCMP released this report at a time when David Eby, the Premier of Canadian province British Columbia, is visiting India seeking closer trade ties.
We will try to answer two questions in this piece:
What are the crimes linked to the Bishnoi Gang in Canada?
What is the basis for the Canadian government's allegations?
Bishnoi Gang's Alleged Crimes in Canada
Here are some of the attacks attributed to the Lawrence Bishnoi group that have taken place in the last six months in Canada.
12 January 2026: Shots were fired outside the residence of Sikh businessman Jasvir Dhesi in Brampton, Ontario. A Facebook post attributed to Lawrence gang member Goldy Dhillon surfaced taking responsibility for the attack.
29 October 2025: Shots were fired outside the residence of Punjabi singer Chani Nattan in Surrey, British Columbia. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for it.
October 27 2025: Darshan Singh Sahsi, a businessman originally from Ludhiana, was gunned down outside his home in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The killing was allegedly due to his refusal to pay extortion money. Goldy Dhillon reportedly claimed responsibility for Sahsi's killing.
14 May 2025: Harjeet Singh Dhadda, a Sikh businessman, was shot and killed outside his office in Mississauga, Ontario. Authorities have linked the killing to extortion and gang violence, specifically involving individuals with ties to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Two suspects were arrested.
Multiple Attacks on Kapil Sharma's Cafe: Shots were fired at Comedian Kapil Sharma's Kap's Cafe in Surrey, British Columbia, on at least three occasions in 2025: 10 July, 7 August and 18 October.
An audio clip attributed to Bishnoi Gang member Harry Boxer took responsibility for the attack on Kapil Sharma's cafe in August saying that "anyone who works for Salman Khan won't be spared". Khan had appeared on Sharma's show in June 2025.
In a social media post attributed to Lawrence Bishnoi gang members, Goldy Dhillon and Kulveer Sidhu took responsibility for the October attack.
Canada's Allegations
The Canadian authorities began viewing the Bishnoi group as a serious threat since its name emerged in connection with the assassination of pro-Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey Gurdwara in 2023. The Canadian authorities accused the Indian government of carrying out the assassination.
In October 2024, The Washington Post put out a report in which Canadian officials accused India's Home Minister Amit Shah of ordering "a campaign of violence, intimidation and intelligence gathering targeting Sikh separatists inside Canada". Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister David Morrison told the Canadian Parliament's national security committee that he had confirmed Shah’s name to The Washington Post.
Addressing the committee at that time, Canada's National Security Adviser Nathalie Drouin had accused the Indian government of working with the Bishnoi Gang.
The then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had also accused "Indian agents" of using Lawrence Bishnoi for carrying out violent attacks and extortion in Canada.
In September 2025, the Canadian government declared the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity. This decision was taken following advice by the RCMP and demands from officials like British Columbia Premier David Eby and Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke.
"The Bishnoi Gang has met the definition of a 'terrorist group' under Canada’s Criminal Code. A terrorist listing means anything owned by that group in Canada, property, vehicles, money can be frozen or seized and gives Canadian law enforcement more tools to prosecute terrorist offences, including those related to financing, travel and recruitment," read the government's statement.
However, despite this announcement, there doesn't seem to be any significant reduction in the activities of the gang in Canada, as is clear from the spate of shootings in the last few months.
One of the main reasons why the Canadian authorities have been alleging links between Bishnoi and the Indian government is the fact that he is running his criminal empire from the Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat.
'Targeting Specific Communities'
There is a perception in the Canadian government and Sikh organisations that the Bishnoi gang is being used to spread terror in the Sikh community in the country.
"Specific communities have been targeted for terror, violence and intimidation by the Bishnoi Gang," Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety, had said in September 2025 while declaring it as a terrorist organisation.
Reacting to the Global News' recent story, World Sikh Organisation of Canada posted a statement by its legal counsel Balpreet Singh on X, "It is deeply troubling that these realities appear to be downplayed for political convenience at the expense of public safety and accountability."
The organisation has claimed that the report is evidence of "transnational repression by the Indian government" that is "harming the safety of communities in Canada".
It is not clear if the attacks carried out by the Bishnoi Gang in Canada are purely extortion-related or if there is an ideological element to them as well. For instance, Chani Nattan, whose home was targeted by the gang in October, is not just a popular singer, he is also known to be politically assertive.
In his song 'Alcatraz', Chani Nattan asked 'Bhai Nijjar nu kinne mareya?' (Who killed Hardeep Singh Nijjar). In two other songs, he criticised the incarceration of former Babbar Khalsa militant Jagtar Singh Hawara.
Incidentally, the attack on Nattan's house took place a little over a month after the release of 'Alcatraz' in which he mentioned Nijjar's killing.
The RCMP's allegations latest allegation need to be seen in the context of the India-Canada trade negotiations. Despite a change of Prime Minister, it is clear that there is continuity in policy as far as security matters are concerned.