Gunfire hits Nijjar-linked business in Canada; cousin blames Bishnoi gang
Toronto: A business owned by a cousin of murdered pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was fired upon in the early hours of Thursday, the latest in a series of such incidents targeting prominent Indo-Canadian businessmen in the area.
Multiple shots were fired on the premises of Nijjar Trucking owned by Raghbir Singh Nijjar at around 3 am on Thursday.
The outlet Red FM reported that on June 18, there was an attempt to set vehicles afire at the same business. It cited Nijjar as alleging that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was behind the attack, as part of an extortion attempt. His residence had been similarly targeted in August 2024.
Nijjar also said that criminal gangs were using international students for these violent acts. While he is related to Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed on June 18, 2023, in Surrey, British Columbia, a person familiar with them said they had not been close.
This incident followed the murder of another businessman Satwinder Sharma on June 11 in neighbouring Abbotsford. Sharma, 56, was shot while at his business location. The case is being handled by the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team or IHIT which said, 'Early indications suggest this was a targeted incident and no one else was injured as a result of the shooting. Investigators are working diligently to determine the motive and the circumstances surrounding the homicide.'
Another repeat victim is Satish Kumar, president of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey. On June 7, Reflections Banquet Hall, which he owns, was shot at. Early on Saturday, another business, Satish Accounting Services, was similarly targeted.
Kumar told the outlet Vancouver Sun, 'My life is on the line. My family's life is on the line.' In December 2023, the residence where his son and family live in was fired upon.
British Columbia Premier (equivalent of an Indian Chief Minister) David Eby has called upon the Federal Government to designate such violent criminal groups as terrorist organisations.
In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday, he wrote, 'On February 15, 2025, the Government of Canada announced the listing of seven transnational criminal groups as terrorist entities under the Criminal Code.
British Columbia believes that this legal instrument should be applied to groups, such as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, engaged in extortion and violent crimes in multiple Canadian provinces. This is a complex and nationally impactful criminal issue deserving of a national criminal law response to investigate and prosecute those participating in, promoting and/or facilitating these crimes.'
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