The unsealing of a federal indictment in Los Angeles on 8 July has opened a can of worms for Indian authorities. After two years of multi-agency investigation carried out by FBI, Los Angeles police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and US Customs and Border officials, US prosecutors have chargesheeted Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and some of his associates of orchestrating the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. The allegations are part of indictments under the
The unsealing of a federal indictment in Los Angeles on 8 July has opened a can of worms for Indian authorities. After two years of multi-agency investigation carried out by FBI, Los Angeles police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and US Customs and Border officials, US prosecutors have chargesheeted Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and some of his associates of orchestrating the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. The allegations are part of indictments under the US government’s Operation Hard Ball, targeting transnational organised crime groups. The ball this lobs at New Delhi is a tricky one.
Apart from the diplomatic storm it started between India, Canada, and the US, Nijjar’s murder raised questions about the ethics and effectiveness of settling political scores on foreign lands. When Canada alleged the Indian government’s involvement in assassination, using the Bishnoi gang, and espionage operations within their respective territories, the latter condemned these claims as preposterous. The arrest of Nikhil Gupta in the US caused further reputational damage. With latest revelation that the Indian government had no role in the killing, New Delhi stands partially vindicated. However, its problems are far from over.
The US has invoked the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act (RICO) against Bishnoi and aides. RICO once targeted infamous Mafia, including the five dreaded New York families — the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese. The Bishnoi gang joining this unenviable list must make Indian authorities take note of the severe lacunae in their fight against organised crime. Bishnoi’s ability to carry on with his operations from prison indicates patronage from powerful people in the establishment. The fact that Bishnoi has been imprisoned since 2015, and in solitary confinement since 2023, begs the original question. While his lawyer claims innocence, Bishnoi himself bragged about orchestrating a shooting in Vancouver in November 2023. How difficult, then, would it have been for him to indulge in extortion and intimidation through proxies? A serving policeman earlier admitted on record that Bishnoi “runs his gang seamlessly from prison”. Elsewhere in the indictment, the naming of a serving Punjab Police personnel, Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, for aiding the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang in international extortion, is an added embarrassment for India.
The World Bank’s Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Review (LACER) projected the region’s economic growth to be at the bottom of the list, highlighting how organised crime “exacerbates economic woes”. United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) has been repeatedly underscoring the negative impact of organised crime on economy. The agency has also highlighted how the nexus of terrorism and organised illegal economies undermine the security perception of a country. There is enough research, in addition to empirical data, to prove that transnational gangs such as Bishnoi’s also interfere with political and governance processes at almost every level. While India is nowhere near Latin American and Caribbean countries in terms of gang activity, it can ill afford any of the negative outcomes or even perceptions attached.
IMF has projected India to be the fastest growing major economy till at least 2028. The government’s global outreach to draw foreign investments and collaborations stands to get stymied if criminals do not get treated as criminals and can continue their operations from jail. The presence of large “transcontinental gangs” in India is not a good look for a government committed to development and global standing. What India needs right now is demonstrable will against any attempts to cause socio-political and economic instability. How New Delhi will respond the US request for the extradition of Bishnoi and Nagra will, therefore, be significant.
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