Canada accuses India of working with Lawrence Bishnoi gang to target pro-Khalistani elements

Canada has made fresh allegations accusing India of engaging in "serious criminal activity" on its soil and working together with the infamous Lawrence Bishnoi gang, further escalating the tensions between the two countries.

Brigitte Gauvin, Assistant Commissioner, Federal Policing, National Security, Royal Canadian Mounted Police talking to the media on Monday said that India is targeting pro-Khalistani elements in Canada using organised crime groups like the Bishnoi gang in particular.

"It (India) is targeting South Asian community but they are specifically targeting pro-Khalistani elements in Canada. What we have seen is, from an RCMP perspective, they use organised crime elements. It has been publicly attributed and claimed by one organised crime group in particular - Bishnoi Group...We believe that the group is connected to agents of the Government of India," the officer said.

The allegations come at a time when gangster Lawrence Bishnoi is making headlines for his alleged involvement in last week's sensational murder of 66-year-old Baba Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader who was gunned down in Mumbai.

31-year-old Bishnoi is lodged in Gujarat's Sabarmati jail in a drugs case.

Despite being lodged in prison, Bishnoi has allegedly managed to execute murders of many high-profile people, including Punjabi singer Siddhu Moosewala in 2022, Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in 2023, besides orchestrating firing outside the residences of singers A P Dhillon and Gippy Garewal in Canada.

Meanwhile, Canada on Monday said it has expelled six Indian diplomats "in relation to a targeted campaign against Canadian citizens by agents linked to the Government of India".

The development came around the same time when India announced the expulsion of six members of the Canadian high commission in Delhi.

Relations between the two countries have been fraught since last year, when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had evidence linking Indian agents to the assassination of a Sikh separatist leader in his country.

(With inputs from agencies)