Operation Hard Ball: US Probe Vindicates India, Charges Bishnoi-Goldy Brar Network for Nijjar Killing

New Delhi (IANS): A US law enforcement crackdown has cleared the Indian government of any involvement in the 2023 killing of Khalistani operative Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Instead, US authorities have charged jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his Canada-based aide Goldy Brar with ordering the hit.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alongside other US agencies, revealed these findings after launching “Operation Hard Ball.” The transnational crackdown resulted in the arrest of more than 20 individuals connected to the Lawrence Bishnoi criminal syndicate across North America.

The US indictment explicitly states that investigators found absolutely no evidence linking Indian government agents to Nijjar’s murder, dismantling years of allegations levelled by Canada’s former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Transnational Strike Crushes Bishnoi Network

Operation Hard Ball specifically targeted key factions of the Bishnoi syndicate operating inside the United States. While the operation primarily aimed to dismantle the gang’s violent extortion and trafficking networks, it completely upended the geopolitical narrative surrounding Nijjar’s death.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) co-led the operation alongside the FBI. When questioned about Trudeau’s previous high-profile allegations against New Delhi, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Lisa Moreland confirmed that the ongoing probe has yielded no evidence linking the Indian government to the crime.

“This latest action completely vindicates India’s position,” an Indian official stated, noting that New Delhi has always maintained that gang rivalry caused Nijjar’s death.

Canadian Probe Called into Question

The US charges against Bishnoi and Brar heavily discredit the 2024 investigation by Canadian authorities, which previously detained four Indian nationals and labelled India’s High Commissioner, Sanjay Verma, a “person of interest.” That diplomatic row forced both nations to expel senior diplomats.

Security experts point out that the FBI’s findings prove those original Canadian allegations false, exposing major flaws in the initial investigation conducted under Trudeau’s administration.

India-Canada Ties Rebound Post-Trudeau

Following Trudeau’s exit from office and Mark Carney’s takeover as Prime Minister, bilateral ties between New Delhi and Ottawa have rapidly reconstructed. PM Carney visited India earlier this year, where both nations vowed to jointly tackle the Khalistan movement.

Officials confirm that Indian and Canadian security agencies are now working in tandem, sharing intelligence to track extremist elements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also visit Canada later this year to sign a major bilateral trade agreement.

While Pakistan’s ISI continues to back Khalistani elements to revive the movement, officials state that the recent India-Canada intelligence alignment and the US FBI’s crackdown have broken the morale of these extremist networks.