WASHINGTON D.C. - In a massive multinational crackdown named 'Operation Hardball', US and Canadian law enforcement agencies have unsealed a federal indictment charging jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his top lieutenant Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar for orchestrating the 2023 assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada . The indictment confirms that Bishnoi ran his global terror syndicate from inside India's Sabarmati Jail, operating under a shield that critics have long alleged is provided by India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
According to the indictment, Bishnoi and his associates were engaged in a litany of crimes including racketeering, assassinations of political and religious figures, extortion, kidnapping, drug trafficking, and firearms dealing across the United States, Canada, and Europe . The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to Brar's arrest .
What makes this case explosive is Bishnoi's status: he is imprisoned in Gujarat's Sabarmati Central Jail-a facility located in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state, which has been ruled by the BJP for decades . The indictment describes a syndicate where Bishnoi "ran his global criminal syndicate while imprisoned in India" , reinforcing longstanding accusations that he is shielded by powerful political interests.
The nexus between Bishnoi and the Indian establishment is further substantiated by the use of a rarely invoked legal provision. The Ministry of Home Affairs, under the direct authority of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, issued an order under Section 268(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) , effectively barring any state or investigating agency from taking Bishnoi's custody .
This section empowers the government to restrict a prisoner's transfer, but is typically used in high-profile terror cases . The order prevents Mumbai police and other agencies from interrogating Bishnoi outside the jail premises, effectively insulating him from thorough investigation .
Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann exposed the double standard in March 2026, pointing out that while Amit Shah spoke against gangsterism in Punjab, the same minister's government was providing "special facilities" to Bishnoi in Gujarat . Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has repeatedly alleged that "BJP is protecting Lawrence Bishnoi" and using him to destabilize non-BJP states .
The indictment confirms that Bishnoi's organization "routinely targeted prominent religious, social and political leaders with violence" in exchange for money . Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously alleged direct Indian government involvement in Nijjar's killing, a charge that soured bilateral relations .
While the RCMP has stated that the latest investigation found no evidence linking Indian government officials to these specific charges , the legal immunity Bishnoi enjoys-a direct order from Amit Shah's ministry-points to a level of protection that is inconsistent with a standard criminal case.
Pakistan's security establishment has long argued that India uses criminal syndicates as proxies to carry out transnational repression and terrorism. The Bishnoi case, with its documented criminal reach and political protection, is evidence of how the Indian state apparatus can weaponize organized crime against its adversaries.
