Nijjar Murder: No Evidence Against Indian Officials, Say Canadian Police as US Indicts Lawrence Bishnoi

Nearly three years after then Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged a possible link between Indian government agents.

And the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canadian investigators have said they found no evidence implicating or charging any Indian government official in the case.

The clarification came as US authorities unsealed a sweeping indictment naming jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close associate Goldy Brar as the alleged masterminds behind Nijjar’s 2023 murder, without making any allegations against the Indian government.

RCMP: No Indian Official Charged

Announcing the outcome of a joint investigation with the FBI, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the probe had not uncovered evidence to charge or implicate Indian officials in Nijjar’s killing.

The statement was made during the launch of Operation Hard Ball, a coordinated US-Canada crackdown targeting three major organised crime syndicates allegedly involved in extortion, drug trafficking, kidnappings and contract killings across North America.

Canadian investigators said the Lawrence Bishnoi, Ravinder Dhanda and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gangs were among the criminal networks targeted in the operation.

Contrast With Trudeau’s Allegations

The development marks a significant shift from the diplomatic storm that erupted in September 2023, when Justin Trudeau told Canada’s Parliament that security agencies were pursuing “credible allegations” linking agents of the Indian government to Nijjar’s assassination.

India strongly rejected the allegations, describing them as “absurd” and repeatedly urging Ottawa to share credible evidence to support its claims.

The row plunged bilateral ties into one of their worst crises in decades. Both countries expelled senior diplomats, reduced diplomatic staff, suspended visa services for a period and froze trade negotiations, while exchanging allegations over interference and extremist activities.

Relations have only recently begun showing signs of improvement under Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

US Charges Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar

According to the US indictment, Lawrence Bishnoi allegedly directed the conspiracy from prison in India using smuggled mobile phones, while Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar coordinated the operation in North America.

Prosecutors allege Bishnoi supplied photographs and location details of Nijjar before the Khalistani separatist was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

The indictment forms part of a broader prosecution involving 37 accused allegedly linked to three Indian-origin organised crime syndicates operating across Canada, the United States and other countries. The defendants face charges ranging from murder and extortion to narcotics trafficking, firearms offences and organised crime.

A separate seven-count indictment targets the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria network, which investigators allege ran an international criminal enterprise involved in drug trafficking, arms smuggling and contract killings. Prosecutors also claim members of the syndicate manipulated law enforcement systems by filing false complaints to facilitate extortion and intimidate rivals.

The third indictment focuses on an alleged cross-border narcotics operation led by Vancouver-based Ravinder Singh Dhanda. US prosecutors claim the network smuggled large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine between the United States and Canada using commercial transport vehicles. As part of the coordinated operation, investigators carried out searches at multiple properties in Canada linked to the alleged network.