AI Generated Summary
- In a disturbing escalation of transnational gang violence, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for two back-to-back attacks targeting members of the Punjabi community — the murder of industrialist Darshan Singh Sahsi and a shooting incident at the residence of Punjabi singer Channi Nattan in Canada.
- The group gained global notoriety after the 2022 murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, a case that remains a touchstone for discussions on gang violence in Punjab and abroad.
- As the investigation unfolds, the attacks have reignited calls for greater collaboration between Indian and Canadian law enforcement to dismantle the transnational networks driving the recent surge in organized crime.
In a disturbing escalation of transnational gang violence, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for two back-to-back attacks targeting members of the Punjabi community — the murder of industrialist Darshan Singh Sahsi and a shooting incident at the residence of Punjabi singer Channi Nattan in Canada.
Police confirmed that gunshots were fired late Tuesday night at Nattan’s home. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The attack came just a day after Sahsi, a prominent businessman from Punjab, was gunned down in what authorities are calling a “planned hit.”
According to an online post attributed to Goldie Dhillon, a known Bishnoi gang member, both attacks were part of the gang’s ongoing extortion operations. The post alleged that Sahsi was targeted for refusing to pay extortion money and accused him of having ties to drug trafficking — a claim that investigators have not independently verified.
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang, one of India’s most feared organized crime syndicates, has a sprawling network that extends into Canada and other countries with large Punjabi diaspora populations. Despite Bishnoi’s imprisonment in India since 2014, the gang has continued to orchestrate violent crimes, including extortion, drug smuggling, and targeted killings. The group gained global notoriety after the 2022 murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala, a case that remains a touchstone for discussions on gang violence in Punjab and abroad.
Canadian law enforcement has classified the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, citing its cross-border criminal operations and influence over diaspora communities. In the wake of the latest incidents, authorities have stepped up security measures around individuals believed to be on potential hit lists.
Police investigations are underway in both India and Canada, with agencies coordinating to trace the digital origins of the gang’s public claims. Officials in both countries have vowed to crack down on the gang’s growing influence, which has fueled a climate of fear among business leaders and artists within the Indo-Canadian community.
As the investigation unfolds, the attacks have reignited calls for greater collaboration between Indian and Canadian law enforcement to dismantle the transnational networks driving the recent surge in organized crime.
