The US has, for the first time in a federal indictment, alleged that jailed Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close aide Satinderjeet Singh, alias Goldy Brar, ordered the June 2023 assassination of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.The allegation figures in one of three indictments unsealed under Operation Hard Ball, a coordinated crackdown by law enforcement agencies from the US, Canada and Europe against India-based transnational organised crime syndicates, in which 24 persons have been arrested.According to the US Department of Justice, Bishnoi and Brar directed the killing of Nijjar — identified in court documents as “HSN” — who was shot dead by two gunmen outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.Significantly, a senior Canadian police official on Wednesday contradicted former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2023 remarks alleging a “potential link” between agents of the Indian government and the killing of Nijjar, saying there was “no evidence” to support such a claim.Trudeau’s remarks had triggered a sharp deterioration in India-Canada relations, including reciprocal expulsions of diplomats, disruption of visa services and a prolonged freeze in bilateral engagement. Canadian Police Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland’s remarks are being seen as a diplomatic apology that could finally put the matter to rest and help both countries move forward.The US has also indicated that it may seek Bishnoi’s extradition from India. Essayli said authorities intended to pursue the extradition of those charged, including Bishnoi and jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, alleging that both continued to run criminal enterprises despite being imprisoned in India.“When they come to a federal prison in the US, I guarantee you they won’t be extorting any more victims once they’re in our custody,” Essayli said, alleging that Indian prisons had failed to prevent the gang leaders from directing criminal operations.US officials stopped short of indicating when a formal extradition request would be initiated, knowing fully well that any such move would have to be processed under the India-US extradition treaty.Neither the US indictment nor officials associated with Operation Hard Ball alleged any involvement of the Indian government in Nijjar’s killing.In all, 37 individuals have been charged in three separate cases involving racketeering, targeted killings, extortion, drug trafficking, firearms offences and human smuggling allegedly carried out by organised crime groups operating across multiple countries.The nine-count indictment against Bishnoi, 33, alleges that despite being imprisoned in India, he ran a global criminal syndicate using contraband mobile phones and internet-based communication devices smuggled into jail. Prosecutors alleged that he directed political assassinations, murders, extortion, kidnappings, narcotics trafficking and other organised crimes through associates spread across India, North America and Europe.The indictment identifies Goldy Brar as the Bishnoi syndicate’s North American leader and Rohit Godara as its European head, alleging that both acted on Bishnoi’s behalf and coordinated criminal operations, including acts of violence in the US and Canada.Federal prosecutors further alleged that the syndicate financed its activities through international drug trafficking and the theft of narcotics consignments from rival gangs. Investigators linked the group to the movement of large quantities of cocaine between the US and Canada and alleged that it stole more than 520 kg of cocaine from rival trafficking organisations in the Los Angeles area between March 2024 and July 2025.Nearly 1,000 kg of cocaine, 1 kg of heroin, $40,000 cash and firearms were seized, they said.The investigation also led to indictments against two other India-linked organised crime groups allegedly led by jailed Punjab gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Canada-based Ravinder Singh Dhanda. Prosecutors accused the groups of operating transnational networks involved in murder-for-hire, drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, firearms offences and cross-border narcotics smuggling.