Inside the world of Lawrence Bishnoi, the Indian gangster Canada says India is using as a proxy

The high-profile murder of a Punjabi rapper, ongoing death threats against a Bollywood star, and the killing of a Mumbai-based politician earlier this month are all believed to be linked to one of India's most feared gangsters, Lawrence Bishnoi.

Adding to this troubling pattern, the RCMP has claimed that the Bishnoi gang is targeting pro-Khalistan movement members in Canada, allegedly at the direction of the Indian government.

Last Monday, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brigitte Gauvin highlighted the Bishnoi group during a significant news conference in which the Mounties presented allegations that senior Indian diplomats were engaged in criminal activities in Canada. Gauvin noted that investigators believe the gang is "connected to agents of the government of India."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a similar connection during his testimony at a commission investigating foreign interference last week. He stated that diplomats collected information on Canadians who disagreed with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and passed that information to "the highest levels" of the Indian government, which was then directed to "criminal organizations like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang," culminating in "violence against Canadians on the ground."

Indian officials have dismissed these allegations as "preposterous," accusing Canada of harboring violent members of a group advocating for a separate Sikh homeland, Khalistan, while claiming that the ruling Liberals are trying to garner votes from the large Sikh community.

Last Thursday, India's foreign ministry pointed out that there are 26 pending extradition requests for gangsters, including members of the Bishnoi group, which they claim Canada has ignored.

"This is a contradiction in terms, which we don't understand," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, who called it "really strange" that Canada would link Indian government agents to the very gangsters India wants extradited.

Growing Notoriety

The mention of Bishnoi by the RCMP exemplifies the expanding international influence of the 31-year-old gangster, whose notoriety has only grown despite being imprisoned for the past nine years.

While Bishnoi’s group may have begun its criminal activities with minor intimidation on university campuses in Punjab, its reach now extends across North America, "Europe and the Gulf states, and other areas with significant Punjabi diaspora communities," according to Delhi-based journalist Deepak Bhadana, who has investigated Bishnoi's activities for News9.

Indian investigators estimate that Bishnoi controls a gang of around 700 members across several Indian states, with Punjab police tracking about 2,500 known hideouts used by the gang's hitmen in that state alone. Bishnoi himself faces more than 30 pending criminal cases.

The prevailing assumption is that major operations, which include extortion and targeted assassinations, are orchestrated by Bishnoi from prison using cell phones and encrypted messages.

Gurmeet Chauhan, a senior officer in Punjab's anti-gangster task force, told BBC News that Bishnoi "runs his gang seamlessly from prison without needing to co-ordinate everything."

"Unlike other gangsters confined to a region, he thinks big," Chauhan added.

Not Born into a Crime Family

Given the growth of Bishnoi's operations and influence while incarcerated, some speculate that he enjoys a level of protection from the state or other powerful allies.

"In India, we are aware that these gangsters operate with political support," said Jupinderjit Singh, deputy editor of The Tribune newspaper in Chandigarh. "Gangsters here cannot thrive without the support of politicians."

Bishnoi’s rise to the top of India’s criminal underworld is seen as an "aberration" because he was not born into a crime family, according to Singh, who recently published the book Who Killed Moosewala? The Spiralling Story of Violence in Punjab.

Sidhu Moose Wala, a Punjabi rapper, was shot dead in May 2022, shocking India and its diaspora communities. Although Bishnoi has denied involvement in the killing, he and his younger brother Anmol, along with Goldy Brar—one of Bishnoi's closest associates believed to help run the gang from Canada—are considered the main suspects.

Bishnoi grew up in a relatively affluent landowning family in Punjab, with a police officer father and a mother who named him after a British figure, sent him to a local convent school, and envisioned him becoming a lawyer.

Singh explained that Bishnoi became involved in violence and extortion while studying at university in Chandigarh, but he fully embraced the gangster lifestyle after his first stint in jail.

"He was supposed to be kept in a separate [ward], but he was openly meeting and interacting with very hardened criminals," Singh said, including terrorists and gangsters. "When he comes out, he's a different person."

Bishnoi has been incarcerated since 2015, transferred among various jails in India, and is currently at Sabarmati prison in Gujarat state. Many experts believe these transfers placed him in contact with individuals entrenched in India’s criminal underworld, allowing him to rapidly expand his network.

Underground Rivalries

Recent developments have heightened concerns that Bishnoi's gang is seeking to take control of Mumbai's criminal underworld, potentially leading to more violence.

A group member claimed responsibility on social media after Baba Siddique, a prominent 66-year-old politician, was shot on the busy streets of central Mumbai on October 12, evoking memories of the gangland killings that plagued the city in the 1990s.

Local media reports indicated that Mumbai police had repeatedly requested Bishnoi’s transfer from his Gujarat prison to one in Maharashtra state to address new allegations; however, the applications were denied by India's Home Affairs Ministry.

In April, shots were fired outside the Mumbai home of Bollywood star Salman Khan. Bishnoi had publicly vowed to kill Khan after accusing him of poaching two blackbuck antelopes, a species revered by the Hindu sect to which Bishnoi belongs. Both Bishnoi and his brother have been named as key suspects in that case.

Singh noted that like other high-profile Indian gangsters, Bishnoi is building his personal mythology and instilling fear about his extensive reach.

"Ever since Lawrence Bishnoi entered the world of crime, he has been saying only one thing: 'I have to do something big' every few months," the investigative journalist remarked.

The aim is to "keep the fear of his name afloat" and enhance his "brand value," which increases with each media report of a new alleged crime.

A 'Foolish' Statement

The statement by Canadian police appears to contribute to this narrative, according to Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Delhi-based think tank Institute for Conflict Management.

"I think the RCMP's statement is most unfortunate, if not foolish," Sahni said, deeming it "nonsensical" that investigators would name the Bishnoi group without having solid evidence to support the alleged connection between the gangsters and the Indian government.

"The Indian government has built up the Khalistani threat," Sahni told CBC News in an interview at his office in Delhi. "And the Canadian government, by making statements of this nature, is building up the power of this criminal group, not only in India but also in Canada."

Journalist Deepak Bhadana also questioned the purpose behind Canadian police naming the Bishnoi gang.

"He's been named [as linked to] a lot of things, and that changes little," Bhadana stated. "I don't think it helps anyone but Bishnoi."

Known members of the Bishnoi gang, who are often eager to showcase their exploits on social media, have not mentioned the RCMP's statements in any posts.

Singh remarked that Bishnoi utilizes the relative safety of prison, where he is somewhat insulated from rival gang members, to his advantage. However, he believes Bishnoi is fully aware that he won’t remain safe behind bars for long given his rapidly expanding influence.

"In their hearts, gangsters like Bishnoi know that they live by the gun and they die by the gun."