Canadian Police Find No Proof Linking Indian Officials to Nijjar Killing; US Indicts Lawrence Bishnoi

Nearly three years after former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau publicly 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 Indian officials in the murder.

The clarification came as US authorities unsealed indictments against jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close associate Goldy Brar, accusing them of orchestrating Nijjar’s assassination in 2023. The court documents make no allegation of involvement by the Indian government.

RCMP Says Probe Found No Evidence Against Indian Officials

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) made the disclosure while announcing Operation Hard Ball, a joint investigation with the FBI targeting transnational organised crime networks allegedly operating across Canada and the United States.

During a media briefing, RCMP officials said the Nijjar murder investigation did not uncover evidence that warranted charging or implicating any Indian government official.

The operation targeted criminal syndicates linked to Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Ravinder Singh Dhanda, which investigators allege were involved in organised crime activities ranging from extortion and drug trafficking to kidnappings and contract killings.

A Departure From Trudeau’s 2023 Claims

The RCMP’s statement stands in contrast to the allegations made by Justin Trudeau in September 2023, when he told the Canadian Parliament that security agencies were pursuing “credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to Nijjar’s killing.

India categorically rejected the accusation, calling it “absurd” and repeatedly asking Ottawa to provide evidence supporting its claims.

The allegations triggered one of the deepest diplomatic rifts between the two countries in recent years. Both sides expelled senior diplomats, reduced diplomatic representation, temporarily suspended visa services, stalled trade negotiations and exchanged accusations over foreign interference and extremist activities.

Relations have only recently shown signs of stabilising under the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney.

US Indictment Targets Bishnoi Network

According to the US indictment, Lawrence Bishnoi allegedly directed the plot from prison in India using illicit mobile phones, while Goldy Brar coordinated the operation from North America.

Federal prosecutors allege Bishnoi supplied Nijjar’s photographs and location details before the separatist leader was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.

The indictment is part of a wider prosecution involving 37 individuals allegedly linked to three Indian-origin organised crime syndicates accused of murder, extortion, narcotics trafficking, firearms offences and money laundering across multiple countries.

A separate indictment focuses on the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria network, which investigators allege operated an international criminal enterprise involved in drug trafficking, weapons smuggling and murder-for-hire. Prosecutors also claim the group used fabricated complaints and false information to intimidate rivals and facilitate extortion.

The third case targets an alleged cross-border drug trafficking network headed by Vancouver-based Ravinder Singh Dhanda. According to US prosecutors, the organisation smuggled large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine between the United States and Canada through commercial transport routes. Coordinated raids carried out during the investigation included searches at several Canadian properties linked to the alleged network.