The federal government has listed the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity, accusing the India-based group of engaging in murder, extortion and intimidation in Canada.
Public Safety Canada said Monday the gang creates a “climate of insecurity” in diaspora communities “by targeting them, their prominent community members, businesses, and cultural figures.”
“Listing the Bishnoi Gang will help Canadian security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies in combating their crimes and making communities safer,” the agency said.
The designation under the Criminal Code allows for Canadian law enforcement to seize property and vehicles owned by the group or to freeze its finances, giving authorities more tools to prosecute terrorist offences.
“The Criminal Code listing can also be used by immigration and border officials to inform decisions on admissibility to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,” according to Public Safety Canada.
The gang, named for its leader
, is described by the federal government as
a transnational criminal organization
operating primarily out of India, with a presence in Canada. Although Lawrence Bishnoi has been in prison in India since 2015, he is still allegedly controlling the group, the
.
Ottawa’s move comes after the Sikh community and politicians, including Conservative and NDP leaders as well as premiers in British Columbia and Alberta,
called on Prime Minister Mark Carney
for the designation.
“Violence, terror and the intimidation of communities will never be tolerated in Canada,” said Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree in a post on X.
Today, our government listed the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity. Violence, terror, and the intimidation of communities will never be tolerated in Canada.
We’re taking action to combat these threats: https://t.co/LO49Bhxg7F
— Gary Anandasangaree (@gary_srp) September 29, 2025
In 2022, Punjabi singer
, who studied in Ontario as an international student, was killed in India. A man associated with the gang allegedly planned the murder from Canada.
In 2023, Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was fatally shot outside a temple in Surrey, B.C. The suspects in the murder
allegedly had ties to the Bishnoi Gang
, the Vancouver Sun reported. Justin Trudeau, who was prime minister at the time of the suspects’ arrests the following year,
pointed the finger at the Indian government
for their alleged involvement.
This led to a breakdown between the two governments, and India denied playing a role. Six Indian diplomats were
and six Canadian diplomats were expelled from India in October 2024.
In June, B.C. Premier David Eby said the Bishnoi Gang was involved in extorting members of the South Asian community in B.C., Alberta and Ontario, and were also connected to other crimes, the Vancouver Sun reported.
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre mentioned the Bishnoi Gang while speaking at
, saying they were “terrorizing communities, shooting up neighbourhoods, extorting our people, and taking the money out of our country.”
“There is evidence now that their violence is linked to terror and to political motivations. This is why numerous mayors and premiers, including me and Mayor Patrick Brown from Brampton (Ont.), have called for this group to be listed as a terrorist body,” said Poilievre.
“Doing so would allow police to arrest anyone who raises money, organizes, plans, does logistics or recruitment, and put those people in jail or, if they are non-Canadians, kick them out of this country.”
In September, the RCMP said it was
launching a specialized task force
“to strengthen investigations into the extortion threats targeting families and businesses in the South Asian community” in B.C.
After the designation, the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) said it welcomed the move. The group is a non-profit that advocates for Canadian Sikhs.
“Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies have linked the Bishnoi gang to assassinations, extortions, and intimidation,” which it alleges was at the direction of the Indian government, the organization said in a news release.
The gang’s “criminal activities are at an unprecedented high, with countless businesses facing extortion and threats,” said WSO president Danish Singh.
“While this designation is an important first step that equips law enforcement with stronger tools to confront this menace, it is critical that the true architects of this violence are also held to account,” he said, adding that the gang has “operated at the direction of the Indian government.”
The Indian government denied allegations made by police in Canada last year that it was involved in ordering Bishnoi members to carry out homicides, violence or extortion,
.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in October 2024 that Canada failed to act, adding that India had shared “security-related information with the Canadian government regarding gang members, including those of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and requested their arrest,” the
. He said it was “strange” that the RCMP was “blaming the Indian side for crimes committed by these people in Canada.”
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