Indian-Origin Gangster Killed In Canada In Inter-Gang Violence As New Delhi-Ottawa Tensions Continue

Amid growing tensions between India and Canada, Indian-origin gangster Sukhdool Singh was shot dead in a supposed gang war in Winnipeg on Wednesday.

Singh, alias Sukha Duneke, is listed as a "Category A" gangster by the Indian government after he fled from the northern state of Punjab to Canada in 2017 on a fake passport. Duneke was part of the Khalistan movement in Canada, according to multiple Indian media reports. A list by India's anti-terror agency NIA (National Investigation Agency) named him among 43 gangsters with links to Khalistan and Canada.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Winnipeg Police said the Major Crimes Unit is investigating a shooting incident in the city. However, the department did not specify any names in its post.

Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster jailed in the Indian state of Gujarat, claimed responsibility for Singh's killing in Canada. While Bishnoi remained in a jail in the city of Ahmedabad, his associates continued to operate out of Canada freely. Singh was believed to be a close aide of Indian-origin gangster Arshdeep Dalla, who was a rival of Bishnoi and currently in Canada.

This comes amid escalating diplomatic tensions between India and Canada after Justin Trudeau alleged the Asian country's involvement in the June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. A designated terrorist in India and leader of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), Nijjar was shot dead outside a Sikh community center in Canada's Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.

Earlier this week, the Canadian prime minister maintained that the intelligence agencies were actively investigating "credible allegations" about the involvement of Indian authorities in Nijjar's killing.

Trudeau's comments came after he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Sept. 10 on the sidelines of the G20 summit, during which the latter had expressed concerns about "continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada."

Following the meeting, India's foreign ministry had issued a statement saying the extremist elements in Canada were "promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises and threatening the Indian community and their places of worship. ... The nexus of such forces with organized crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well. It is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats."

On Tuesday, India also staunchly rejected Canada's latest allegations, calling them "absurd and motivated." On Wednesday, India advised citizens living in Canada to exercise utmost caution.

India added Thursday it was "temporarily unable to process visa applications" from Canada because of "security threats being faced by our High Commissions and Consulates" in the North American country, NDTV reported.

"You are aware of the security threats being faced by our High Commissions and Consulates in Canada... this has disrupted their normal functioning. Accordingly, our High Commissions and Consulates are temporarily unable to process visa applications," Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters. "We will be reviewing the situation on a regular basis."

India believes Canada has been giving shelter to several members of anti-India Khalistani movement. With the strong presence of Khalistani leaders in Canada, the North American country has emerged as a fertile land for Punjabi gangsters. Their activities have increased exponentially, resulting in gang wars across different parts of the country.

Indian authorities have also launched a crackdown on the associates of gangster Goldy Brar, who is believed to have close links to the Khalistani separatist movement. The Indian government believes he is hiding in Canada.

Previously in July, a gang war resulted in the killing of Karanveer Singh Garcha, another Punjabi gangster, in British Columbia's Coquitlam city. In May, Indian-origin gangster Amarpreet (Chucky) Samra was killed in Vancouver. His name was featured in a list of 11 high profile gangsters issued by Vancouver police in August 2022. About nine out of the 11 gangsters were of Punjab origin.

Punjabi gangs have joined the list of top organized crime challenges faced by Canadian authorities, trailing behind the Italian-Canadian Mafia, according to security experts.