Canada govt designates Lawrence Bishnoi's gang as terrorist entity

The Canadian government on Monday officially listed the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity under the country’s Criminal Code.

 

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced the move in a post on X, saying that violence, terror, and the intimidation of communities will never be tolerated in Canada.

 

"Today, our government listed the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity. Violence, terror, and the intimidation of communities will never be tolerated in Canada," he said.    “Every person in Canada has the right to feel safe in their home and community and as a government it is our fundamental responsibility to protect them. Specific communities have been targeted for terror, violence and intimidation by the Bishnoi Gang. Listing this group of criminal terrorists gives us more powerful and effective tools to confront and put a stop to their crimes,” Anandasangaree said in a statement.  What is a terrorist listing in Canada? 

According to the website of the Canadian government, when a group is listed as a terrorist entity in Canada, its assets, such as property, vehicles, or money, can be frozen or seized. The designation also gives law enforcement more powers to act against offences linked to financing, travel, and recruitment.

 

Who is Lawrence Bishnoi?

 

Born in 1993 in Punjab, Lawrence Bishnoi spent his early years in Abohar till 2010 and later moved to Chandigarh to join the DAV College. In 2011, he joined the Panjab University Campus Students Council, where he met gangster Goldy Brar. Bishnoi and Brar became involved in university politics and started undertaking crimes within the university campus.

 

Bishnoi has over two dozen criminal cases registered against him, including murder and extortion. However, he has denied all these allegations. His gang is affiliated with over 700 shooters across the country. Currently, he is in custody in Tihar Jail.

 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) report revealed that Bishnoi and his associate, Goldy Brar, have links with the Pro-Khalistan outfits. 

Threats to Salman Khan and Murder of Sidhu Moosewala

 

In 2018, a close associate of Bishnoi, Sampath Nehra, carried out a recce of Salman Khan's residence and stated that he was asked to assassinate Salman Khan for his involvement in the Black Buck hunting case.

 

On May 29, 2022, Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead in Mansa, Punjab. The responsibility for the shooting was claimed by Goldy Brar, who said that he had engineered the plot with Bishnoi.