As per the federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles, Bishnoi had ordered the killing of Nijjar, who has been mentioned as ‘H.S.N.’ in court documents, outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18 three years ago.
Image: X
The United States on Tuesday, July 7, charged jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his aide Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar for ordering the assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June 2023.
As per the federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles, Bishnoi had ordered the killing of Nijjar, who has been mentioned as ‘H.S.N.’ in court documents, outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18 three years ago, PTI reported.
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This comes as law enforcement agencies of the US, Canada and Europe in a coordinated action, named ‘Operation Hardball,’ arrested 24 persons – 11 of them in California – connected to three India-based transnational organised crime groups that have been charged with a litany of criminal acts, including Nijjar’s assassination.
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At a news conference in Los Angeles, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said, “Working together, law enforcement in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia are determined to target and dismantle these criminal organisations wherever they operate. There is no safe harbour for these thugs”.
Cocaine and firearms seized as part of Operation Hard Ball, an international law enforcement investigation into India-based organized crime syndicates. pic.twitter.com/wN37yAJURi
— US Attorney L.A. (@USAO_LosAngeles) July 7, 2026
According to US officials, the latest action comes as a result of a years-long federal investigation into Indian crime syndicates that are allegedly engaged in racketeering, targeted killings, shootings, extortion, the trafficking of bulk quantities of narcotics across international borders as well as other crimes around the world whose impact is especially felt in the Indian diaspora, PTI reported.
Overall, 37 defendants, including two who ran their global criminal syndicates while imprisoned in India, have been charged across three indictments that were unsealed on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the agencies are hunting for 10 fugitives, including seven in the US, two in India, and one in Europe.
While Bishnoi is already in jail in India, his aide Goldy Brar is still at large.
FBI announces $50,000 reward on Goldy Brar
The FBI has announced a reward of up to $50,000 for any information leading to the arrest of Goldy Brar.
In a post on X, the US investigative agency stated that he is wanted for his alleged involvement in violent crimes across Southern California, the United States and Canada.
The #FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Satinderjeet Singh, #wanted for his alleged involvement in the Lawrence Bishnoi Organized Crime Group which is allegedly engaged in a variety of violent acts in Southern California, and across… pic.twitter.com/BdCxmELUKv
— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) July 7, 2026
“These acts include assassinations of political and religious figures, shootings, murders, kidnappings, extortions, assaults, and the trafficking of narcotics and weapons. Singh is based in the United States and is the alleged leader of the Group in North America,” it stated.
The statement added, “On July 1, 2026, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Singh in the United States District Court, Central District of California, Los Angeles, California, after he was charged with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Conspiracy; Conspiracy to Interfere and Attempted Interference with Commerce by Extortion; and Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances.”
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