A series of violent killings targeting Indian-origin businessmen in Canada has prompted urgent calls for the federal government to designate the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organization. These demands are being made amidst allegations that the group is operating with support from Indian intelligence services.
On May 14, 2025, 51-year-old Harjit Singh Dhadda was shot and killed outside his office in Mississauga, Ontario. Hours later, a Facebook post claimed responsibility for the murder on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, an Indian-origin syndicate accused of orchestrating a growing wave of violence across Canada. Dhadda’s killing was followed by two more fatal shootings of Indian-origin businessmen—Satwinder Sharma in Surrey and MP Dhanoa in Brampton—all with alleged links to the Bishnoi network.
Push to Designate Bishnoi Gang a Terrorist Entity
In response, political leaders across Canada, including British Columbia Premier David Eby and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, are urging the federal government to formally designate the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist group. Premier Eby stated that a terrorist designation would “enable police to use the necessary tools.” Such a designation would empower law enforcement to seize assets, criminalize support for the group, and strengthen international cooperation through Interpol. Alberta’s Public Safety Minister, Mike Ellis, cited “credible intelligence” linking the gang to extortion and targeted violence against the South Asian community in Canada.
The Alleged India Connection
Canadian officials allege that the Bishnoi network is not merely an organized crime syndicate but may be working on behalf of Indian intelligence services to silence critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi abroad. This claim gained prominence after the 2023 assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, for which Canada directly blamed India. At that time, then-PM Justin Trudeau accused Indian diplomats of collaborating with criminal gangs like Bishnoi’s to track and harm political opponents.
Growing Fear in the Diaspora
For many in the Indian-origin community in Canada, particularly in cities like Surrey and Brampton, fear has become a daily reality. Gurleen Dhadda, the daughter of slain businessman Harjit Singh Dhadda, recounted that her father received a threatening extortion call demanding C$500,000, and despite alerting the police, he was shot dead months later. Experts argue that the Bishnoi gang’s operations—including transnational assassinations, extortion rackets, and social media claims of murder—extend beyond conventional organized crime. However, one expert cautioned that labeling a non-ideological criminal group a terror entity could set a risky legal precedent.
