KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
29-Oct-2025
On October 29, Arpan Sahsi, son of Indian-origin businessman Darshan Singh Sahsi who was shot dead outside his Abbotsford home on October 27, dismissed claims by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang that the killing was linked to unpaid extortion or drug trafficking. Arpan stated, “There were no calls, no threats, no blackmail — nothing. My father was a hardworking man who built his business from scratch. This makes no sense. No one benefits from this.”
28-Oct-2025
Unidentified gangsters reportedly opened fire at the house of Punjabi singer Channi Nattan in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Following the incident, Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Goldy Dhillon shared a video of the shooting on social media, claiming responsibility and alleging that the attack was prompted by Nattan’s “growing closeness” with fellow singer Saradar Khera. The gang warned the Punjabi music industry that anyone collaborating with or maintaining ties with Khera “will be solely responsible for their own loss,” vowing to continue targeting him. Canadian authorities are investigating the incident and verifying the gang’s claims.
27-Oct-2025
A prominent Punjabi businessman, identified as Darshan Singh Sahsi, was shot dead outside his residence in the Ridgeview Drive area of Abbotsford, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on October 27. Sahsi was reportedly about to get into his car to leave for his office in Maple Ridge when the assailants opened fire. Police suspect it to be a targeted attack. Sahsi, originally from Ludhiana, Punjab, was also the President of Canam International, a leading firm in clothing recycling. Soon after the incident, Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility in a social media post, stating that the murder was carried out following Sahsi’s refusal to pay an extortion demand. The post further alleged that Sahsi was involved in a drug trafficking operation and had blocked the gang’s number after refusing to pay.
25-Oct-2025
A Khalistani rally, organized by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) leader Inderjeet Gosal, featuring a float depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was held in Brampton, Canada, on October 25. The rally, which concluded in Mississauga, sought to glorify Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, the assassins of Indira Gandhi. The event comes ahead of a planned SFJ siege of the Indian Ambassador’s residence on October 31 and the Khalistan referendum voting scheduled for November 23.
24-Oct-2025
In a recent interview with The Globe and Mail, High Commissioner of India to Canada Dinesh K. Patnaik voiced concern over Canada’s handling of evidence in transnational crime cases and its inaction against the “illegal activities” of Khalistani separatists. He noted that while evidence submitted by Ottawa is deemed “enough,” similar evidence from New Delhi is often dismissed as “not enough.” “Your evidence is enough but our evidence is not enough?” Patnaik remarked, reflecting India’s frustration with Canada’s lack of seriousness toward its security concerns. He complained that Canada has done little to stop illegal activities by some Canadian Sikhs promoting a separate Khalistan state in Punjab. India has shared dossiers and the names of at least 25 individuals of concern with Canadian authorities, but there has been little visible action in response.
22-Oct-2025
Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre extended Diwali greetings, combining them with wishes for Bandi Chhor Divas, which drew criticism for his choice of wording. Social media users accused him of pandering to Khalistanis, with some commenting that it was unsurprising his party lost the last election.
21-Oct-2025
Punjabi singer Teji Kahlon was seriously injured in a targeted shooting attack outside a private event in Canada on October 21. Soon after the attack, a social media post by three individuals, Mahender Saran Dilana, Rahul Rinau, and Vicky Phalwan, claiming affiliation with the Rohit Godara gang took responsibility for the incident. In the post, the group issued a chilling threat, warning of a fatal strike. Local police and Canadian federal authorities are investigating the case but have not yet confirmed the identities of the shooters or the motive behind the attack.
21-Oct-2025
Three men linked to gangster Rohit Godara, Mahender Saran Dilana, Rahul Rinau and Vicky Phalwan, claimed in a social-media post that they shot Punjabi singer Teji Kahlon in Canada and warned “this is only the beginning.” They said Kahlon was shot in the abdomen and accused him of aiding rival gangs with money, weapons and information, and warned of harsher action if he did not stop.
20-Oct-2025
Former CSIS director and national security adviser Richard Fadden, who served under prime ministers Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper, said on October 20 that India never provided evidence to back its concerns about Sikh separatist activities in Canada. Fadden noted that Indian officials frequently raised the issue during his tenure, but “never gave us any evidence.” He added, “We kept trying to explain to them that we have the rule of law and our own procedures.” Fadden expressed hope that there is now “an effective exchange of law enforcement information on both sides” to allow such cases to proceed through courts.
20-Oct-2025
India’s new High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, in an interview with CTV, said that the threat posed by Khalistani groups operating in Canada is a domestic issue for Ottawa to address, not an Indian one. He dismissed allegations linking Indian diplomats to criminal activities as “preposterous and absurd.” Patnaik added that recent discussions between Ottawa and New Delhi have focused on “the entire security situation,” including the growing influence of Khalistani groups. “What we are talking about now are the different security scenarios that are happening in this country,” he said.
19-Oct-2025
According to reports, Canada is facing the fallout of its lenient immigration and law enforcement policies, which have enabled fugitive gangsters and terror-linked operatives from Punjab to establish a dangerous foothold in the country. The rise in gang violence—driven by the newly designated terrorist entity, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang—has turned isolated crimes into a transnational menace involving extortion, drug trafficking, and targeted shootings that threaten public safety and strain India–Canada relations. The gang’s audacity is evident in high-profile incidents such as the three shootings in three months targeting comedian Kapil Sharma’s cafe in Surrey, British Columbia.
18-Oct-2025
India’s High Commissioner to Canada, Dinesh Patnaik, dismissed allegations by the RCMP and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that linked Indian diplomats to homicides and extortion cases in Canada. He said that recent India–Canada talks have focused on “the entire security situation,” including the Khalistan separatist movement. Calling the issue a domestic one for Canada, Patnaik remarked, “Canada cannot look at this as an Indian problem. It’s a Canadian problem. There are Canadians who are creating this problem.” Expressing concern over his own security, he added, “I find it strange that a high commissioner here has to be under protection. I should not be under protection in a country like this.”
18-Oct-2025
According to reports, two truck drivers of Indian origin, Karan Owaan and Gagandeep Singh Gharil, were arrested on October 18 at the Michigan–Sarnia border in Canada for allegedly smuggling millions of dollars’ worth of illegal drugs. They were charged with importing methamphetamine into Canada and possessing it for the purpose of trafficking. One of the accused has reportedly been released on bail.
16-Oct-2025
Shots were fired at Indian-origin comedian and actor Kapil Sharma’s restaurant in Surrey, Canada, on October 16, the third such incident since its opening in July. The shots were fired in the early morning while staff were inside the cafe, but no one was injured. The restaurant had reopened earlier this month after being targeted twice earlier, on July 10 and August 7.
16-Oct-2025
Gangsters Goldy Dhillon and Kulvir Sidhu, affiliated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claimed responsibility for the October 16 attack on Kapil Sharma’s restaurant in Surrey, Canada, through a social media post. The post stated that they have no enmity with the general public but issued a stern warning to those involved in “illegal activities,” those who “don’t pay people after getting work done,” and “anyone in Bollywood who speaks against religion.” The message concluded with a menacing remark: “A bullet can come from anywhere. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.”
16-Oct-2025
Khalistani terrorist and chief of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, on October 16 issued a threat to Indian comedian and actor Kapil Sharma, demanding that he either shut down his café in Canada or speak out against India. Pannun described Sharma’s café as a “symbol of Modi’s violent Hindutva ideology,” which he claimed was responsible for the killing of Khalistani activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Earlier, shots were fired at Sharma’s restaurant in Surrey, Canada — an attack for which the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility.
14-Oct-2025
British Columbia Premier David Robert Patrick Eby on October 14 described the ongoing extortion crisis in Surrey and other areas as terrorism. Surrey has recorded 33 extortion-related shootings and 59 non-shooting extortion cases so far in 2025, as of October 9. Eby said, “We pushed the federal government to list the Lawrence Bishnoi group and any other organizations involved in this extortion as terrorist entities. This is an effort to terrorize the community and extort money, whether by individuals or groups, and it is completely unacceptable.” The federal government officially designated the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity in Canada on September 29.
12-Oct-2025
Another shooting linked to extortion targeting the South Asian community occurred in Whalley, Surrey, on the night of October 12, leaving a woman critically injured after unidentified assailants opened fire on her inside her home in the 13000 block of 103A Avenue. The newly established Provincial Extortion Task Force has, in the past week, charged seven individuals in connection with extortion-related offences.
12-Oct-2025
Canadian political commentator and podcaster Josh Udall on October 12 said that addressing pro-Khalistan extremism in Canada could be key to improving India-Canada bilateral and trade relations. He urged Prime Minister (PM) Mark Carney’s government to take India’s security and sovereignty concerns seriously, noting that Canada faces a range of extremist threats but tends to focus on only certain types of hate.
09-Oct-2025
According to Canadian court records, 25-year-old Abjeet Kingra, hired by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to target Punjabi singer AP Dhillon, arrived in Canada on a student visa four years ago. The judge, sentencing him last month for a violent September 2024 attack on the musician’s British Columbia home, noted that Kingra struggled academically and in the job market, failing to support his family, which led him to take on this contract. He is likely to be deported to India after serving a six-year sentence.