The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) has confirmed that it intends to seek the extradition of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi from India, days after a federal indictment accused him of orchestrating a series of crimes, including the assassination of Canada-based Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Ciaran McEvoy, Public Affairs Officer at the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, was quoted by the report as saying that the legal process to bring Bishnoi to the United States will be pursued, though it is expected to take time.
“Bishnoi himself remains incarcerated in India. We intend to seek his extradition to the United States. (Extradition is a lengthy legal process and often takes years to complete)," McEvoy said in an email.
Bishnoi, who has been imprisoned in India since 2015 and is currently lodged in a jail in Gujarat, was among the key accused named in a federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles earlier this week.
According to the indictment, Bishnoi ordered the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.
The report also mentioned that McEvoy clarified that members of the Bishnoi gang have not yet been arraigned before the US court because they are not currently under its jurisdiction.
“Once they are transferred here, they will be," the DoJ official said.
Besides Bishnoi and his close aide Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar, the indictment also names Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, who is currently lodged in an Assam jail, and Canada-based Ravinder Singh Dhanda as alleged gang leaders.
McEvoy said the trial involving Dhanda gang members has been scheduled for August 31 in a Los Angeles court, while proceedings involving Bhagwanpuria gang members are listed for September 1.
However, he indicated that those dates are unlikely to remain unchanged.
“The odds are better than excellent that those dates will be continued," he said, suggesting that the hearings are likely to be rescheduled.
WHAT THE US INDICTMENT ALLEGES
According to the indictment unsealed in Los Angeles, Bishnoi allegedly ordered Nijjar’s assassination, with the victim identified as “HSN" in court documents.
The charges are part of a wider investigation into three India-based transnational organised crime groups accused of racketeering, targeted killings, extortion, drug trafficking and other offences spanning multiple countries.
The FBI has also announced a USD 50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Goldy Brar, who remains at large.
A federal arrest warrant was issued against Brar on July 1 after he was charged with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion and conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances with intent to distribute.
According to the FBI, Brar has links to Sacramento and Fresno in California, as well as Canada, India and Mexico.
The charges were announced as part of Operation Hardball, a coordinated law enforcement action involving authorities in the United States, Canada and Europe.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 24 individuals connected to three India-based organised crime groups, and 37 defendants were charged in three indictments.
US officials said the investigation targeted criminal syndicates allegedly involved in racketeering, extortion, targeted killings and international narcotics trafficking.
Prosecutors also alleged that Bishnoi delegated control of his criminal enterprise to trusted associates, including Brar as the North American leader, and that members of the network used encrypted messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, to threaten victims and extort money.
The killing of Nijjar had severely strained diplomatic ties between India and Canada after then Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged links between the Indian government and the murder.
India rejected those allegations as “absurd" and “motivated."
Source: India Today