Ottawa, September 29, 2025 – In a move with far-reaching diplomatic implications, the Government of Canada has officially designated the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code. But beyond being labeled as just another violent criminal syndicate, Canadian intelligence sources suggest that the Bishnoi network is functioning as a proxy arm of the Indian government, carrying out operations abroad that New Delhi cannot be openly tied to.
Public Safety Canada’s announcement highlighted the gang’s record of extortion, shootings, and murders – many of which directly targeted Sikh activists in Canada. Officials say the group operates with remarkable impunity despite its leaders being incarcerated in Indian jails. The question Canadian authorities are now asking is: how do they continue to operate so freely from inside maximum security prisons without state collusion?
Proxy or Scapegoat?
Gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi and his lieutenants have long been accused of running their empire from Indian prisons. Numerous reports point to direct complicity of prison officials and politicians in India, allowing communications, finances, and instructions to flow from behind bars. This has fueled growing suspicion that Bishnoi may not just be a rogue criminal figure, but rather a useful tool for the Indian state – a convenient channel to pursue covert campaigns against Sikh dissidents abroad.
Some analysts suggest Bishnoi is being used as a “boogeyman” scapegoat by Indian intelligence: whenever a Sikh activist is threatened or attacked, blame can be deflected onto the gang, shielding state actors from scrutiny.
Canadian Intelligence Points to Indian Embassy
According to sources familiar with Canadian security assessments, investigators have traced backlines of coordination to officials connected to the Indian embassy in Ottawa, raising the possibility of state-backed terror operations on Canadian soil. While the Canadian government has not officially named Indian diplomats, insiders allege that intelligence briefings connect the chain of command as high as India’s powerful Home Minister, Amit Shah.
Sikh Activists in the Crosshairs
The Bishnoi Gang’s operations in Canada have disproportionately targeted Sikh community leaders and Khalistan supporters. Community advocates argue this cannot be dismissed as mere gangland rivalry – the pattern of killings and threats aligns with India’s campaign of transnational repression, which Canada has previously called out in diplomatic disputes.
Ottawa’s Strongest Step Yet
By designating the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist organization, Canada has not only frozen its assets and criminalized any dealings with it, but also signaled its willingness to publicly acknowledge the gang’s deeper political connections. “This is about more than organized crime,” said one intelligence source. “It’s about foreign states using criminal proxies to wage covert wars on Canadian soil.”
As Canada tightens its counterterrorism net, questions remain: is Bishnoi truly a criminal kingpin commanding vast resources from prison, or merely a proxy-warrior and convenient front for India’s intelligence services?
One thing is clear – Ottawa has now formally drawn a line, and the fallout could further strain already fragile Canada–India relations.