US authorities have announced charges against Lawrence Bishnoi, the imprisoned head of an Indian criminal gang, and his childhood friend and North American deputy, Satinderjeet Singh. According to an indictment announced in Los Angeles, the two are accused of directing the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a prominent Sikh independence activist.
Nijjar, who served as president of a temple, was fatally shot on June 18, 2023, near a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia. The indictment identifies the victim by the initials "H.S.N."
The high-profile killing has triggered a diplomatic crisis and strained relations between Canada and India, specifically between Ottawa and New Delhi. While Bishnoi remains in custody in India, Singh has not yet been apprehended.