SHUMAILA ASLAM
Scandinavian News Agency
Bureau Chief – Pakistan
A series of targeted killings in Canada’s South Asian community has triggered widespread alarm and calls to classify the India-based Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organization.
In May, Harjit Singh Dhadda, a well-known trucking insurance executive in Mississauga, was fatally shot outside his office. The assailants fled in a stolen car. Hours later, two individuals claimed responsibility on Facebook, identifying themselves as members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, a notorious Indian crime syndicate.
Within weeks, two more men of Indian origin were murdered in Surrey, British Columbia, and Brampton, raising fears of a coordinated transnational crime network operating within Canadian borders. Authorities believe the killings are linked to organized criminal elements rooted in India and accuse the Bishnoi gang of expanding its reach into Canada.
The gang’s alleged ties to Indian state interests have intensified the political fallout, with Canadian officials accusing it of serving Indian agendas in the diaspora. The incident has further strained Canada–India relations, already tense following past diplomatic rows.
Now, Canadian political leaders and public safety advocates are urging the federal government to formally designate the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist group, citing threats to national security and growing violence in the immigrant community.
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