KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
09-Jan-2026
According to a social media post attributed to Goldy Dhillon, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for an attack targeting a Kabaddi League promoter in Canada. The post said the attack was carried out at the residence of Kabaddi team promoter Davinder Mann in Delta, Surrey, Canada.
09-Jan-2026
In a targeted attack linked to an ongoing gang conflict among drug peddlers in British Columbia, a 28-year-old Canada-born Punjabi youth, identified as Navpreet Singh Dhaliwal, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in the 3200 block of Siskin Drive in Abbotsford, Canada, on January 9. Abbotsford Police stated that Navpreet had previously been on law enforcement’s radar and was linked to the B.C. gang conflict. Dony Bal—who had earlier claimed responsibility for the murders of kabaddi promoter Rana Balachauria and sarpanch Jarmal Singh—reportedly also claimed responsibility for Navpreet’s killing. Although Navpreet’s family hails from Sudhar village in Ludhiana district, sources from the village stated that he rarely visited the area during his adulthood.
03-Jan-2026
A report by Canada-based outlet Western Standard said extremist Khalistani elements are increasingly using Canada as a base to push their separatist agenda and strain ties with India, warning that Ottawa must urgently address the issue. It argued that no country should tolerate diaspora extremist movements that undermine national security and foreign policy, citing the so-called Khalistan “referendum” organised by the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) in Ottawa in November 2025 as occurring at a sensitive diplomatic moment. While urging firm action to prevent future referendums, the report cautioned against targeting the Sikh community as a whole and called on Canadian agencies to act strictly against extremists without stigmatizing law-abiding Sikhs.
29-Dec-2025
Aisling Bondy, president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, citing Canada Border Services Agency data, said more than 18,000 refugee claimants were deported between 2019 and 2024—the highest level in over a decade and a 55% increase since 2019. She said the federal government appears increasingly focused on deportations at the expense of fairness and justice, while spending over USD 78 million annually to carry out removals.
25-Dec-2025
A Canadian court has sentenced 22-year-old Indian-origin Parminder Singh to seven-and-a-half years in prison for his role in an organised extortion and arson racket targeting South Asian homebuilders in Edmonton, Alberta. The case is part of Project Gaslight, an Edmonton Police Service investigation into a gang that extorted wealthy homebuilders for protection money, leading to charges against seven other Indian-origin individuals. Prosecutors described Singh as a mid- to high-level gang member. He pleaded guilty to extortion for a criminal organisation, firing at a residence, and pointing a firearm at a police officer. Singh admitted to shooting nine rounds at a homebuilder’s house on October 11, 2023, on the instructions of senior gang members, and to continuing gang coordination from jail. After credit for time served, he will spend about four more years in prison and is expected to be deported after completing his sentence.
18-Dec-2025
Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on December 18 said it directed the FBI to arrest and charge California resident Jasmeet Singh for allegedly threatening a suburban Vancouver victim on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Singh, a Fresno resident, has been charged in the US with interstate communication of threats of violence over WhatsApp calls made in May 2024. According to an FBI complaint filed on November 26 in California’s Eastern District, Singh sought revenge after two of his associates in India were charged in a 2022 attempted extortion case involving the victim, who had moved to Canada earlier this year. Singh, who entered the US in 2023, is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
17-Dec-2025
A Canadian local court has denied a motion seeking a stay of removal filed by an Indian-origin man, identified as Gurpreet Singh, who claimed to be a member of the Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). A copy of the judgment rejecting Singh’s plea to defer his imminent removal from Canada noted that an Inland Enforcement Officer of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) had earlier refused his request, finding that there was “insufficient objective and compelling evidence” to justify deferring the removal. Singh had argued that he would “suffer irreparable harm if removed to India” and claimed that he would face persecution due to his alleged pro-Khalistan activism in India and Canada. The court, however, did not find merit in his submissions and upheld the CBSA’s decision.
17-Dec-2025
According to reports, a record number of Indian nationals were removed from Canada by the country’s authorities in 2025, surpassing the previous high recorded in 2024. In the first ten months of 2025, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) enforced the removal of 2,831 Indian nationals out of a total of 18,969 removals. This figure is already more than 41 per cent higher than the 1,997 Indian nationals removed during the entirety of 2024. By comparison, in 2019, Indian nationals accounted for only 625 removals out of a total of 11,269. Indians also lead in the category of removals in progress, with 6,515 cases out of a total of 29,542. The largest category of removals overall relates to non-compliance with refugee claims, accounting for 15,605 cases. In its year-end release, the CBSA stated, “Of these, 841 were subject to serious inadmissibility, including national security, organised crime, human rights violations, and criminality.” These figures apply to the overall total and are not broken down by nationality.
16-Dec-2025
In an interview with Global News, Ranbir Singh said that he and his brother, Dharmjit Singh, have been receiving extortion threats allegedly from a member of India’s Lawrence Bishnoi gang, describing such intimidation as the “new normal” in several parts of Ontario, Canada. He said the extortionist falsely accused them of selling drugs to Punjabi youths in Canada, an allegation the brothers strongly denied. According to Ranbir Singh, the caller identified himself as “Raja,” a name they believe is likely an alias used to conceal the extortionist’s real identity.
12-Dec-2025
Two Punjabi youths, identified as Gurdeep Singh and Ranbir Singh from villages near Budhlada in Mansa district, were shot dead in southeast Edmonton, Canada, in the early hours of December 12. The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) said the killings appear to be targeted and has launched an investigation. The two had gone to Canada separately in search of better career opportunities. According to information shared with Gurdeep’s family by his friend Arshdeep, the youths were on their way to celebrate a friend’s birthday when unidentified assailants allegedly opened fire on them.
11-Dec-2025
According to reports, Canada’s plan to deport individuals linked to British Columbia’s (BC) extortion epidemic has stalled after all the suspects referred for deportation hearings claimed refugee status. The foreign nationals were identified by BC’s Extortion Task Force, but once the Canada Border Services Agency initiated proceedings, each suspect applied for asylum. As a result, the deportation of all 14 individuals has been paused until the Immigration and Refugee Board determines the validity of their claims. The immigration enforcement agency’s spokesperson declined to comment further and did not respond to queries on whether all the suspects are Indian citizens.
10-Dec-2025
During a court hearing, it was revealed that Indian-origin man Vikram Sharma, who fled to India after being identified as one of the accused in the arson attack on Punjabi musician AP Dhillon’s vehicles at his home in British Columbia, Canada—allegedly on the directions of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang—was living in Canada illegally at the time of the incident. His student visa had expired in April 2024, and he was captured on CCTV setting fire to Dhillon’s car in September 2024. He is believed to be in India. According to the prosecutor, prior to the offence, Sharma had submitted fraudulent documents to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in an attempt to reinstate his student visa, but when the documents were found to be fake, he was instructed to appear for an in-person interview, which he did not attend.
09-Dec-2025
Canadian authorities have identified the mastermind and shooters involved in the series of attacks on comedian Kapil Sharma’s Kaps Café in Canada. The two shooters, identified as Sharry and Diljot Rehal are of Punjabi origin and are believed to be residing in Canada. They have been labelled ‘most wanted’ in connection with the incidents. Investigators have also identified a gangster named Seepu as the alleged mastermind who directed the shooters. The duo shooters’ association with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has further complicated the probe due to the gang’s suspected links to transnational crime. Police have released images of the suspects to seek public assistance, and Canadian law enforcement and federal agencies are coordinating closely with Indian authorities to track down all those involved.
09-Dec-2025
Indian central agencies and Canadian police are intensively searching for two most-wanted shooters, Sharry and Diljot Rehal, involved in multiple firing incidents at Kapil Sharma’s Kap’s Café in Canada. The duo, allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, is accused of carrying out three attacks that triggered concern in both Surrey and Mumbai. The Delhi Police Crime Branch identified the shooters after arresting a key associate. Investigators have also identified the alleged mastermind, a gangster named Seepu, who is believed to have directed the two Punjabi-origin shooters to open fire at the café on multiple occasions.
03-Dec-2025
A report published on December 3 stated that Canada is at a crossroads: it can either continue treating Khalistani extremism and Punjabi-Canadian gang violence as separate issues, or acknowledge their growing financial interconnections. The report added that stronger border security, deeper financial-intelligence cooperation with trusted partners, and a zero-tolerance approach to laundering drug money through political or charitable fronts would be essential first step.
02-Dec-2025
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) superintendent Sandeep Singh ‘Sunny’ Sidhu on December 2 filed a USD 9-million lawsuit in the Ontario Superior Court against the Government of India, alleging it orchestrated a disinformation campaign that derailed his career and endangered his life. He claims Indian authorities falsely portrayed him as a fugitive terrorist to inflame tensions and discredit Canada. According to the statement of claim, prepared by Toronto lawyer Jeffrey Kroeker, Sidhu was targeted because of his Sikh surname and his high-visibility role in border security, and was wrongly depicted as a dangerous Khalistani extremist working within the Canadian government.
30-Nov-2025
On November 30, pro-Khalistani supporters staged a protest outside the Indian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada against Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks on Pakistan, calling them “dangerously revisionist.” Protesters carrying Pakistani and Khalistan flags raised slogans against the Narendra Modi government and in support of Khalistan. Speakers at the rally argued that Rajnath Singh should address India’s internal issues instead of making provocative comments about Sindh, warning that such rhetoric heightens regional tensions and undermines prospects for peace.
28-Nov-2025
A trilateral summit of Canadian federal, provincial, and municipal leaders was held in Surrey on November 28 to launch a multi-million-dollar initiative against the rising wave of extortion targeting the South Asian community in Lower Mainland of British Columbia (BC). Convened amid growing concern from over 100 police files involving threats, shootings, and arsons, the summit announced USD 6.2 million in commitments to strengthen investigations, victim services, and youth prevention programs. The event, billed as a “unified pledge to disrupt organized crime networks,” brought together more than 50 officials, including Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, B.C. Premier David Eby, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, and MPs Sukh Dhaliwal and Taleeb Noormohamed. The summit also focused on the B.C. Extortion Task Force, established in September as a joint operation of the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and local forces including the Surrey Police Service.
27-Nov-2025
A new report warns that the large turnout at the recent Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) referendum in Ottawa hides deeper concerns about the group’s expanding operations in Canada and the West. Citing research by political scientist Allen Hampton, it says Khalistan-linked networks now extend into fraud, LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) misuse, drug-linked money channels, and trucking-sector crimes. These networks allegedly exploit young Punjabis seeking to migrate, trapping them in debt through fake job offers and illegal routes. Some community spaces are reportedly used for recruitment. The report urges Western governments to dismantle LMIA fraud rings, tighten trucking regulations, and cut off funding to radical groups.
26-Nov-2025
Canadian news channel CTV News has come under fire for giving a platform to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), who displayed a poster on air reading “NO Hindi,” “NO Hindutva,” and “NO Hindustan.” Hindu groups accused the network of broadcasting explicit anti-Hindu messaging without challenge. The Hindu Canadian Foundation said CTV News had given a national platform to “hate speech and propaganda,” adding that the network had “inadvertently amplified hate speech that fosters division, spreads misinformation, and incites hostility toward Hindu Canadians.” The group has called on the broadcaster to explain how such messaging was allowed to air unchallenged.