Latest news with #NijjarTrucking
Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
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.'
Global News
16 hours ago
- Global News
Surrey trucking company targeted twice in suspected extortion case
A Surrey business owner says his business was shot at early Thursday morning, about 24 hours after a previous incident. Raghbir Singh Nijjar, owner of Nijjar Trucking, which is in an industrial area in northwest Surrey, said someone shot at the building and the company cars parked in the lot. When Surrey Police Service officers arrived on the scene, they found bullet casings. No one was inured, even though staff were inside when the shooting happened, but the shooting happened just under 24 hours after vehicles were damaged at the same location. On Wednesday, June 18, at approximately 3:50 a.m., suspects used gasoline to damage vehicles but were scared off by on-site security. SPS officers arrived on scene and gathered evidence from this incident as well. Nijjar said that about a year ago, someone called his business and demanded money for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Story continues below advertisement India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) describes the group as a criminal gang headed by Lawrence Bishnoi, whose lawyer says contests more than 40 cases accusing him of crimes such as murder and extortion. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Nijjar said they have reported everything to RCMP and Surrey police while the people have kept calling and asking for money. He said he is scared of what is going on. 'We (are) working every day,' he added. 'We (are doing) hard work. We (have been here) since '91. That's why we came over here (for) safety and (a) better future.' 2:15 Maple Ridge shooting believed tied to extortion attempts Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton with the Surrey Police Service would not confirm on Thursday that these incidents are linked to extortion. Story continues below advertisement 'Well, we'll be looking at all of the motives and all potential links, whether it's to past investigations and this current investigation, as with any investigation, we have to let the evidence dictate the course of that investigation,' he said. 'It may turn out that it is related to previous investigations or previous incidents, but we have to let the investigation take its course.' This incident comes after a home in Maple Ridge was shot at twice in what is believed to be linked to an extortion attempt and last week, the brazen murder of an Abbotsford man with no known criminal ties reignited extortion fears in B.C.'s Lower Mainland. In this case, SPS's Frontline Investigative Support Team (FLIST) has assumed conduct of both investigations. Anyone with information about this incident should contact the SPS non-emergency line at 604-599-0502 and quote file number 25-50413 (SP) or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or
