Canada suddenly dropped Goldy Brar from wanted list: Recalled envoy Verma

Canada suddenly dropped the name of gangster Goldy Brar, who operates in the north American nation, from its wanted list of criminals, India's recalled envoy Sanjay Verma has said.

In an interview with PTI Videos, Verma said India had shared the names of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and Brar with Canadian authorities who had put the latter on the wanted list.

The senior diplomat also said the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was "wrong" and the truth must come out after a thorough investigation.

"Nijjar was a terrorist to us, but anything that is extrajudicial, for any democracy, rule of law country, is wrong," Verma said.

"We always told them that we want to reach to the bottom of the whole episode, so that you are satisfied, we are satisfied," the diplomat said.

He said Brar operated one gang in Canada but there are multiple similar groups in that country which are not-so trans-national, but have a pan-Canada character.

"Goldy Brar was living in Canada. On our request, he was put on the wanted list. All of a sudden, he disappeared from the wanted list. What do I make out of it? Either he is arrested or he is no more wanted," Verma said.

"So, when the turf war starts on drug trafficking or human trafficking and gunrunning, we have seen in various parts of the world that there are murders and killings," he said.

Brar was believed to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and came into focus after he claimed responsibility for the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in May 2022. However, reports suggest that both were running separate gangs now.

Verma said India had shared the names of Brar and Bishnoi with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

"So, it is not that Canada or Canadians authorities woke up from their dreams and said, here is a Lawrence Bishnoi and here is a Goldy Brar, it was an Indian agency which told them about these two gangsters," the diplomat said.