Who was Sukhdool Singh, Canadian Gangster, Whose Murder has been Blamed on India?

The diplomatic row between India and Canada escalated as the Justin Trudeau-led government accused Indian diplomats of targeting dissidents and threatening public safety, leading to the expulsion of diplomats from both sides. Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma was named as a person of interest in a probe linked to the killing of India-designated Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

According to a report by The Washington Post, Canadian officials claimed an investigation into Nijjar’s killing in June 2023 last year in Surrey, British Colombia revealed the involvement of the Indian government in the murder of Sukhdool Singh Gill, aka Sukha Duneke last year. The murder took place two days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went public with his accusations against India.

Sukhdool Singh, the Punjab-born gangster who had links to terrorism, was shot dead on September 20, 2023, in the Winnipeg city of Canada. Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang took responsibility for Sukhdool’s murder. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) featured him in a wanted list of 43 gangsters a day before his murder.

Who was Sukhdool Singh Gill?

Sukhdool Singh Gill aka Sukha Duneke originally belonged to Moga in Punjab. He had at least 18 criminal cases including murder registered against him in India and fled to Canada in 2017 using fake documents. He was associated with Punjab’s Devinder Bambiha gang and was part of the Khalistani movement in Canada.

According to multiple reports, Sukhdool was also a close associate of terrorist Arshdeep Dalla, who was a central figure of the Khalistani Tiger Force. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed Sukhdool was allegedly involved in the killings of several people associated with different gangs.

His death came less than 24 hours after the NIA issued a list of wanted criminals who were either residing in India or fled. Sukhdool’s name was featured among 43 gangsters who had links with the Khalistan movement in Canada. He was allegedly involved in an assassination attempt on kabaddi player Sandeep Singh Nangal in 2022.

Indian agents blamed for Sukhdool’s death

Discussions over the deceased Punjabi gangster have reignited after the diplomatic spat between India and Canada intensified recently. Canadian officials linked the murder of Sukhdool Singh Gill to the Indian government and claimed to have uncovered India’s involvement in home invasions, drive-by shootings, arson and an additional killing, according to a report by The Washington Post.

“Officials cited the death of Sukhdool Singh, who was shot in Winnipeg on Sept. 20, 2023, less than a day after he was featured in a wanted list of gangsters posted on X by India’s National Investigation Agency. The killing came two days after Trudeau publicly accused India of killing Nijjar,” said the US-based newspaper.

The officials also claimed that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which has a large presence in Canada, carries out attacks against alleged Sikh separatists with the involvement on the Indian government. India has repeatedly denied the accusations as “absurd” and “politically-motivated”.

India-Canada ties decline

It is important to mention here that relations between India and Canada strained after Trudeau’s bombshell accusations against India in Nijjar’s killing last year in Surrey, British Columbia. After the top Indian diplomat and five others were named in a case linked to Nijjar, India rejected the allegations as “preposterous implications” and withdrew its diplomats over concerns for their safety, while expelling six Canadian diplomats.

India has repeatedly slammed Canada for being overly lenient on Khalistani supporters and said the government has consciously provided space to violent extremists and terrorists “to harass, threaten and intimidate Indian diplomats and community leaders in Canada”.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also discussed Canada’s ‘double standards’ on Monday, referring to the kind of diplomatic immunity it seeks versus the kind of diplomatic immunity it extends to other nations’ envoys. “Double standards is a very mild word for it,” Jaishankar said while explaining how Canada treats other diplomats and the “licence” their diplomats try to use while in India.

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