 "Lawrence Bishnoi was born in 1993 in Punjab. He hailed from a wealthy agricultural family that owned over 100 acres of land in Punjab’s Duttaranwali village.")
Canada on Monday declared the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist group under the country’s Criminal Code.
The announcement was made by Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree. The government in its statement said the Bishnoi gang is a transnational criminal group that is active in parts of Canada.
“The Bishnoi Gang engages in murder, shootings and arson, and generates terror through extortion and intimidation,” the statement read. “They create a climate of insecurity in these communities by targeting them, their prominent community members, businesses and cultural figures,” it added.
The development comes as relations between India and Canada continue to thaw under Prime Minister Mark Carney. Ties between the two countries hit a nadir under Carney’s predecessor Justin Trudeau.
But what do we know about the gang? And what does this mean for India?
Let’s take a closer look
What we know about the gang
First, let’s take a brief look at Bishnoi himself.Bishnoi was born in 1993 in Punjab. He hailed from a wealthy agricultural family that owned over 100 acres of land in Punjab’s Duttaranwali village. Interestingly, his father was a former policeman while his mother was a housewife.
Bishnoi, who hails from Punjab’s Ferozepur district, finished his schooling in 2008. He then went to study law in Chandigarh. It was here that he became involved in student politics at DAV College. Bishnoi, who would serve as president of the Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU), then got involved in the criminal underworld. While he was embroiled in student politics, Bishnoi was repeatedly arrested for arson, attempted murder, trespassing and assault and robbery.
Bishnoi has been charged with more than two dozen cases including murder and extortion . His gang smuggles arms and liquor, carries out assassinations and protects criminals.
He was first arrested in Bathinda in 2012 and then shifted to Tihar Jail. Bishnoi was arrested by Rajasthan Police in 2024. Since 2015, he has been lodged at Gujarat’s Sabarmati Central Jail.
But that hasn’t stopped him from running a crime syndicate which has spread its tentacles across Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi and even internationally in Canada and the United States.
Bishnoi gained fame with the murder of Punjabi rapper and politician Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022. Brar, his associate, is also suspected in the killing of the Congress party member. The Bishnoi gang later claimed that the murder was part of a larger rivalry with another outfit.
Bishnoi is also famous for threatening actor Salman Khan,
who was accused of killing two blackbucks in Rajasthan in 1998. Bishnoi had threatened to murder Khan for killing the animals, which are considered sacred by the Bishnoi community. Gunshots were later fired outside
Khan’s home in Bandra in April 2024. Police arrested suspects who promptly confessed their ties to the Bishnoi gang.
The Bishnoi gang has also claimed responsibility for the murder of right-wing leader Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, who was shot dead in Jaipur in December 2023. The gang in 2023 also took responsibility for the murder of NCP MLA Baba Siddique. Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister, was killed in Bandra by members of the Bishnoi gang.
“We do not have any enmity with anyone but whoever helps Salman Khan … keep your accounts in order,” a Facebook post by a Bishnoi associate wrote at the time.
A vast criminal enterprise
According to authorities, Bishnoi directs his vast criminal enterprise from behind bars. He is said to employ around 700 shooters across India with numerous ‘associates’ in North America. Many of these are impressionable youths recruited via social media and with promises of a better life abroad.
Bishnoi’s close associates include Goldy Brar – who lives in Canada and runs the gang there – and his brother Anmol. Bishnoi has been linked to several pro-Khalistan groups, including the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
The gang is said to have a number of safe-houses or hideouts in Canada. The Bishnoi gang has also been linked to violence and shootings in Canada. This includes the killing of Sukhdool Singh Gill in Winnipeg, shootings in British Columbia including near the home of Punjabi singer AP Dhillon.
The authorities in Canada claim a number of members from Bishnoi’s gang have been targeting businessmen of South Asian origin. In Alberta, the Bishnoi gang attempted to extort $360,000 from one business. Police in Ontario have also claimed the gang is extorting businesses.
In August, the Bishnoi claimed responsibility for the shooting at comedian Kapil Sharma’s café in Surrey. They claimed this was done because of Sharma’s proximity to Khan, which the comedian denied.
But much of the gang’s modus operandi remains under wraps.
“For gangsters, it is all in the name – and the fear of that name,” Jupinderjit Singh, author of Who Killed Moosewala, told Al Jazeera.
“Lawrence often says, ‘Bada kaam karna hai [I have to do something big]’. Earlier, the ‘big job’ was murdering Moose Wala, then attacking Salman Khan, and now Siddique,” said Singh. “These attacks add brand value to his name and multiply the extortion and ransom amount the gang can demand.”
What does this mean for India?
India for years has protested that it is trying to extradite members of the Bishnoi gang – requests that have not been acted on by the Canadian government.
However, the terrorist designation would make it easier for authorities in Canada to crack down on the Bishnoi gang. Not only can they seize assets such as cash, vehicles and property, they can even be charged for financing terror activities in India. The gang and its suspected members can also be denied entry into Canada.
“Specific communities have been targeted for terror, violence and intimidation by the Bishnoi Gang. Listing this group of criminal terrorists gives us more powerful and effective tools to confront and put a stop to their crimes,” Anandasangaree said.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre last month asked the federal government to designate the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity.
In June, British Columbia Premier David Eby asked the federal government to declare the gang a terrorist organisation, a call repeated by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith earlier.
With Trudeau stepping down and being replaced by Carney and now this move, it can safely be said that ties between the two countries are on the upswing.
With inputs from agencies