Indian govt agents linked with Lawrence Bishnoi gang: Canadian police

As diplomatic relations between India and Canada took a turn for the worse with both countries expelling each other’s diplomats, Canada has made a serious allegation that Indian government agents are linked to criminals carrying out “homicides and violent acts” in Canada, and specifically mentioned the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has been in the news in India for the past few days for allegedly being behind the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique in Mumbai on October 12.

Canada had alleged that India’s High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma and other Indian diplomats are “persons of interest” linked to the killing of Khalistani militant Hardeep Singh Hijjar in Canada last year.

Canada has accused the Indian government of direct involvement in “serious criminal activity” on its soil, but without sharing any evidence to buttress its allegations.

RCMP press conference

During a press conference on Monday night (October 14), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Mike Duhene and his deputy Brigitte Gauvin claimed that “agents of the Government of India use criminals to target the South Asian community, specifically pro-Khalistani elements in Canada”.

“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,” said Brigitte Gauvin, Assistatn Commissioner, Federal Policing, National Security, RCMP.

Also Read: India expels 6 Canadian diplomats, withdraws envoy, ‘targeted’ officials from Canada

“Evidence also shows that a wide variety of entities in Canada and abroad have been used by agents of the Government of India to collect information. Some of these individuals and businesses were coerced and threatened into working for the Government of India. The information collected for the Government of India is then used to target members of the South Asian community,” read the RCMP statement.

NSA Doval met Canadian counterpart: Report

India’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval held a secret meeting with his Canadian Counterpart in Singapore last week, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Quoting anonymous Canadian officials, the US newspaper said Canada shared alleged evidence with Doval showing that India had enlisted “networks of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang” to carry out the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and attacks on other Sikh separatists.

The report claims that Doval initially “pretended not to have any idea who Lawrence Bishnoi was”, but later acknowledged that the gangster was “capable of orchestrating violence from wherever he is incarcerated and was known to be up to no good from his jail cell”.

Also Read: Canada drags in India's top envoy in Nijjar killing | Diplomatic situation explained

The meeting was supposed to have lasted for five hours, and was an effort by Canada to persuade the Indian government to “end an escalating campaign of violence” in Canada.

They reportedly also told Doval that details of alleged Indian involvement in attacks on Canadian soil were likely to become public next month during the trial of four suspects in Nijjar’s killing.

The report claims that the meeting was attended by Canada’s Security Adviser Nathalie Drounin, Deputy Foreign Minister David Morrison, and a senior member of the RCMP.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has not yet responded to the report in The Washington Post.

Fundamental error by Govt of India: Trudeau

“I think it is obvious the Government of India made a fundamental error in thinking they could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadian citizens, here on Canadian soil. Whether it be murders or extortion or other violent acts, it is absolutely unacceptable,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, hours after the press conference by the RCMP.

India strongly rejects Canada’s ‘preposterous imputations’

India has strongly rejected what it calls Canada’s “preposterous imputations” about New Delhi supporting criminal activity against Canadians and “coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians”.

Also Read: Nijjar murder: India rebukes Trudeau over allegations, demands proof

The Indian government said Canada has “not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests” since the allegations were first made.

India’s external affairs ministry has rejected claims that its High Commissioner to Canada Sanjay Kumar Verma and five of his staff are “persons of interest”.