Alleged members of an Indian gang and its leader have been sending shivers down the spines of members of the South Asian diaspora in Canada for years, says a city councillor in Richmond, B.C.
Kash Heed said the Bishnoi gang, led by Lawrence Bishnoi, gained notoriety and instilled fear among Indian Canadians well before the RCMP accused the syndicate this week of orchestrating violent crimes on Canadian soil.
Mounties have alleged Indian diplomats shared information about Sikh separatists in Canada with the Indian government and top Indian officials then passed information to the Bishnoi.
“(Lawrence Bishnoi’s) reputation precedes him,” said Heed, also a former B.C. solicitor general and a West Vancouver police chief, in an interview.
“He is an individual that is prone to violence in India. A couple of years ago, the Bishnoi gang really started to hit the airwaves and people (were) concerned about it … a lot …