HOURS AFTER India withdrew its diplomats from Canadathe Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alleged that “agents” of the Indian government were collaborating with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to spread terror on Canadian soil.
Bishnoi, 31 is a gangster from Punjab, and is currently lodged in the Sabarmati Central jail in Ahmedabad. He is suspected by the Mumbai police to be behind the killing of Baba Siddiqui, a three-time MLA from Maharashtra on Saturday night.
In a press conference on Thanksgiving Day in Ottawa, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Brigitte Gaubin alleged, “What we have seen is the use of organised crime elements, and it’s been publicly attributed to one organised crime gang in particular… the Bishnoi group is connected to the agents of India.”
When asked if RCMP was accusing the Indian government agents of “homicide, extortion, intimidation, and coercion,” RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said, “Yes.”
Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, is also scheduled to hold a press conference on Global Affairs Canada and RCMP’s “investigative efforts related to violent criminal activity occurring in Canada with connections to India”, his website said in a recent update to this itinerary on Monday. While it did not specify the time, it said he will be joined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, and the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc.
India strongly denied Canada’s “preposterous imputations” and warned that it “reserves the right to take further steps in response”.
Minutes before the presser, quoting Canadian officials, The Washington Post reported that the killing of a Sikh separatist in Canada last year was part of a broader violent campaign targeting Indian dissidents, allegedly directed by a senior Indian official and an operative from India’s intelligence agency. Canadian authorities, the report claimed, based these claims on intercepted communications from India and other new information.
The report alleged the Indian government has been using the Lawrence Bishnoi gang for such operations. It alleged that Indian diplomats in Canada gather intelligence on suspected Sikh separatists, which is then passed to RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), India’s intelligence agency, to help identify targets for attacks carried out by the Bishnoi-led criminal syndicate, which reportedly has a strong presence in Canada, the report said.
On the timing of his press conference, Duheme said, “An extraordinary situation is compelling us to speak about what we have discovered in our multiple ongoing investigations into the involvement of agents of the Government of India in serious criminal activity in Canada.” He said they were forced to come forward and warn Canadian citizens about this threat following the failure of talks with their Indian counterparts on September 12.
“Earlier this week, the Deputy Commissioner of Federal Policing, Mark Flynn, made attempts to meet with his Indian law enforcement counterparts to discuss violent extremism occurring in Canada and India, and to present evidence pertaining to agents of the Government of India’s involvement in serious criminal activity in Canada. These attempts were unsuccessful. Therefore, Deputy Commissioner Flynn met with officials of the Government of India, along with the National Security and Intelligence Advisor (NSIA), Nathalie Drouin, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, David Morrison, over the weekend.”
When asked for specifics,Gaubin said since September 2023, they had warned at least 13 individuals of threats to their lives. “In regard to homicides, there are approximately eight individuals who have been arrested and charged, while at least 22 individuals have been arrested and charged with extortion. Some of these individuals have connections to the Indian Government,” she said.
RCMP Commissioner Duhemme said in February, they formed a national task force comprising a number of federal government agencies. When asked whether they had briefed their counterparts in the US and UK, Duheme confirmed collaboration with security agencies in both countries. “We have had meetings with FBI colleagues on this matter.”
On the Indian diplomats, he alleged, “Investigations have revealed that Indian diplomats and consular officials based in Canada leveraged their official positions to engage in clandestine activities, such as collecting information for the Government of India, either directly or through their proxies; and other individuals who acted voluntarily or through coercion.”
