No Proof Against Indian Officials In Nijjar Murder, Say Canadian Police As US Indicts Lawrence Bishnoi

Published 8 July 2026 · india

No Proof Against Indian Officials In Nijjar Murder, Say Canadian Police As US Indicts Lawrence Bishnoi Written By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 10:24 IST

No Proof Against Indian Officials In Nijjar Murder, Say Canadian Police As US Indicts Lawrence Bishnoi Written By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 10:24 IST The development comes nearly three years after Justin Trudeau spoke of “credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to Nijjar's killing, triggering a diplomatic crisis Rapid Read US has unsealed an indictment naming jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi (right) as the alleged mastermind behind the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar (left). Nearly three years after then Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged a potential link between Indian government agents and the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the Canadian Police have said their investigation has found no evidence that Indian officials were involved or charged in the murder. The clarification came as the United States unsealed an indictment naming jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his associate Goldy Brar as the alleged masterminds behind the 2023 assassination, with no allegations against the Indian government. What RCMP Said During a media briefing following the joint US-Canada operation, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said investigators had not found evidence that Indian officials were charged or involved in the Nijjar murder investigation, even as authorities announced major arrests and indictments targeting organised crime groups.

ALSO READ | ‘Used as Pawns, Majority Don’t Support Khalistani Ideology’: Canadian Sikhs Condemn Trudeau Govt The RCMP’s statement accompanied the announcement of Operation Hard Ball, a coordinated investigation with the FBI targeting the Bishnoi, Ravinder Dhanda and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria criminal networks, which Canadian police said were responsible for extortion, drug trafficking, kidnappings and violent crimes, including Nijjar’s killing. Contrast With Trudeau’s 2023 Allegations The development comes nearly three years after Trudeau told Parliament there were “credible allegations" linking agents of the Indian government to Nijjar’s killing, triggering a sharp diplomatic confrontation with New Delhi. India rejected the allegations from the outset, calling them “absurd" and repeatedly asking Ottawa to provide evidence supporting its claims. The fallout triggered a series of retaliatory diplomatic measures, including the expulsion of senior diplomats by both countries, a sharp reduction in diplomatic staffing, suspension of visa services for Canadian citizens for a period, the freezing of trade negotiations, and repeated exchanges of accusations over alleged interference and extremism. Bilateral relations remained strained for nearly two years before both sides began cautiously re-engaging under Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. US Indictment Names Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Instead, American prosecutors allege that Lawrence Bishnoi directed the operation from his prison cell in India using smuggled mobile phones, while Brar coordinated the conspiracy in North America.