Canadian police link Bishnoi gang to New Delhi: ‘Acting on behalf of Indian govt’

The allegations surface at a time when India-Canada ties are showing signs of recovery

• RCMP report alleges Bishnoi gang acts on behalf of Indian government in Canada
• Bishnoi gang designated a terrorist group in Canada, accused of violent crimes
• Allegations emerge as India-Canada diplomatic ties show signs of recovery

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The Lawrence Bishnoi gang, designated a “terrorist organisation” in Canada, has once again come under scrutiny after a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report alleged that it had been “acting on behalf of the Indian government.”

The report, accessed by Vancouver-based Global News, claimed the gang had links to the Indian government.

“The Bishnoi Crime Group is a violent criminal organization with an active, continually expanding presence in several countries, including Canada,” the RCMP report said, as obtained by Global News.

Driven by greed rather than political or religious motives, the Bishnoi gang commits extortions, drug trafficking, money-laundering and contract killings, it added.

“The Bishnoi Crime Group is known to use violence to further their criminal enterprise, while acting on behalf of the Indian government,” said the document, marked “Protected A.”

The document, a classified assessment of the Bishnoi gang’s expanding presence in Canada, was obtained by Global News under the country’s Access to Information Act.

The allegations surface at a time when India-Canada ties are showing signs of recovery. In August 2025, after more than 10 months of strained relations, the two countries appointed envoys to each other.

Relations had soured after Canadian security officials accused India of espionage and acts of violence without presenting evidence -- claims New Delhi has repeatedly rejected.

India and Canada were locked in a diplomatic standoff during Justin Trudeau’s tenure as prime minister after he alleged the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. New Delhi denied the charge and repeatedly sought evidence, which Ottawa did not provide.

The RCMP document was made public on the same day British Columbia premier David Eby launched a trade mission to India – from January 12-17, with Prime Minister Mark Carney also expected to visit later this year.

Canada had earlier, on September 29, 2025, designated the Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist organisation, accusing it of fostering fear and intimidation and targeting members of major diaspora communities.