While Delhi has dismissed the allegations of the Indian government using the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to assassinate a pro-Khalistan leader on Canadian soil as “preposterous,” the controversy has cast a spotlight on Lawrence Bishnoi—one of India’s most notorious gangsters. Despite being imprisoned since 2015, his influence continues to reverberate through India and now, it seems, internationally.
The Indo-Canadian controversy also sheds light on the rise of organised crime in northern India. At its centre is Lawrence Bishnoi, a man whose actions blur the line between organised crime and politics.
The Bishnoi Gang Goes International
Canadian police have said that Lawrence Bishnoi, a 31-year-old gangster currently held in a high-security prison in Gujarat, is collaborating with the Indian government to target pro-Khalistan leaders overseas. India denies these claims.
Bishnoi’s gang has already shown their transnational presence. Goldy Brar, a well-known associate of Bishnoi’s, is said to be operating from Canada, working on everything from extortion to drug smuggling and assassinations. Brar and Bishnoi are also suspects in the October 2022 murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, a prominent Punjabi rapper who was shot dead near his village two years ago.
From Student Leader to Crime Boss
Lawrence Bishnoi's childhood had all the trappings of privilege. A young man from Abohar in Punjab, Bishnoi was born into one of the wealthiest families in his village. His father, a former policeman, raised him and his brother Anmol in comfort. Cops have reported that Bishnoi attended a convent school and rode there on his own bike by the eighth grade.
Bishnoi's life trajectory changed when he graduated and attended DAV College in Chandigarh. He gained fame as a student leader, but police records from that time also link him to campus brawls, arson, and gunfire incidents.
By 2010, Bishnoi was facing his first serious charges, including attempted murder and possession of illegal firearms. His early associations with the gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and links to the Kala Jatheri gang further entrenched him in organised crime. Over the years, Bishnoi built a criminal empire focused on extortion, contract killings, and smuggling, particularly in Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana.
Crime and Pop Culture
Bishnoi's connection with high-profile crimes gained media attention in 2018 when he issued a threat to Salman Khan, warning the Bollywood actor of dire consequences over his involvement in the blackbuck poaching case. The Bishnoi community, which reveres blackbucks, had vowed to avenge their deaths.
The murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala in May 2022 solidified Bishnoi's status as one of India’s most feared gangsters. While Bishnoi was already behind bars, his gang—led by Canada-based associate Goldy Brar—claimed responsibility for the assassination. The killing was framed as revenge for the murder of Vicky Middukhera, a close associate of Bishnoi. Police investigations revealed that the Bishnoi gang orchestrated Moosewala’s killing in meticulous detail, using information leaked by insiders close to the singer.
Bishnoi later admitted to his involvement during police interrogations, demonstrating the extent of his criminal reach even from Tihar Jail.
Currently, Bishnoi faces over 50 cases, including murder, extortion, and smuggling. While law enforcement continues efforts to curb his influence, his criminal empire shows no signs of slowing. His network remains active, with several lieutenants and partners coordinating operations within and outside India.
Bishnoi maintained a public persona that blends crime and celebrity. Videos of him in prison show him wearing hoodies and talking about a revolution. During court appearances, he wears T-shirts bearing images of Bhagat Singh, the Indian revolutionary.
Controlling Organised Crime From Behind Bars
Despite being behind bars since 2015, Bishnoi continues to wield significant influence. Reports suggest he commands a network of over 700 gang members across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi, involved in extortion, drug trafficking, and contract killings.
In March 2023, Bishnoi gave two television interviews inside a Punjab prison. These sparked outrage and led to an investigation into how a high-security inmate gained media access.
Since mid-2021, Punjab police claim to have dismantled over 500 gangs and arrested more than 1,400 gangsters. But Bishnoi’s continued activities suggest that dismantling networks and neutralising high-profile criminals remain formidable tasks.
Domestically, Bishnoi’s gang continues to make headlines. On October 12, a gunman killed Baba Siddique, a 66-year-old politician, near his son’s office in Mumbai. The murder has shaken the country, especially since Siddique had close ties to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. Siddique’s relationship with Khan, combined with Bishnoi’s long-standing feud with the actor, suggests that the killing may be more than just a local political dispute.
Notably, Bishnoi once threatened to kill Salman Khan, accusing him of poaching blackbuck antelopes, an animal revered by the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan. In a 2018 court appearance, Bishnoi warned that Khan would be killed in Jodhpur, cementing his reputation as a fearless and audacious criminal.
Following Siddique’s murder, a Bishnoi gang aide allegedly claimed responsibility on social media, reaffirming the gang’s ability to operate across multiple states and influence events even from behind prison walls.
The accusations made by Canadian police have further strained relations between India and Canada, already on edge due to the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in 2022. Najjar was a prominent advocate of the Khalistan movement, which sought to establish an independent Sikh state. India has long regarded the movement as a national security threat, and Nijjar’s death has intensified scrutiny of Indian diaspora politics.
Who is Goldy Brar?
Satinderjit Singh Brar, a.k.a. Goldy Brar, is a key figure in Lawrence Bishnoi’s syndicate. Originally from Sri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab, he operates from Canada. Similar to Lawrence Bishnoi, Brar's father was a police officer.
Brar first came into the spotlight for his role in the murder of Youth Congress leader Gurlal Singh Pehalwan in 2021. He has also been linked to the double homicide of two brothers in Gurugram in 2022, cementing his involvement in multiple violent acts aimed at asserting dominance in the underworld
However, Brar's biggest claim to infamy came in May 2022, when he publicly claimed responsibility for the murder of Sidhu Moosewala. In a chilling statement shared online, Brar declared the killing was an act of vengeance for the death of Vicky Middukhera, who had been gunned down in a rivalry involving Moosewala’s associates. This brazen announcement underscored Brar’s willingness to operate openly despite international law enforcement efforts.
Brar currently lives in Canada, evading Indian law enforcement despite multiple non-bailable warrants and Interpol notices issued against him. He manages operations remotely, running extortion rackets targeting businessmen in Punjab and maintaining control over various criminal enterprises, including smuggling networks and illegal liquor businesses.
