Roving Periscope: Drug gangsters, aka ‘Khalistanis,’ sour Indo-Canadian relations

Virendra Pandit 

New Delhi: The rivalry to control the multi-billion dollar worth of international drug smuggling, struggle for monopolistic supremacy, and inter-gang wars, have combined under the garb of the so-called “Khalistani Movement” and soured Indo-Canada bilateral relations.

Some countries’ humanitarian policies to give ‘asylum’ to outsiders have become the latest tools the criminals and drug lords use to camouflage themselves as  ‘political victims’ in the countries of their origin.

The Indo-Canadian row is an example. Their bilateral relations deteriorated further on Thursday with the killing of another so-called Khalistani extremist in the North American nation in a drug gang war, New Delhi suspending visa services to it until further notice, and Ottawa insisting that Canada is a “safe country.”

From the list of fugitive drug lords now out in the public domain, it is apparent that these gangsters donned the mask of “Khalistani activists” with support from Pakistan, and harmed Indo-Canadian relations. The gangsters include some non-Sikhs as well.

According to the media reports, Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha Duneke of the Davinder Bambiha drug smugglers’ gang from Moga district in Punjab was killed in an inter-gang rivalry on Wednesday night, in Winnipeg, Canada, just like Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey on June 18. Nijjar was shot dead in his vehicle by two masked gunmen outside a Gurudwara in British Columbia.

Sukha Duneke fled from India to Canada on forged documents in 2017 and had seven criminal cases registered against him. He was among the nearly 30 gangsters from the Punjab region and around who took ‘political asylum’ outside India to evade the law. India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) had listed him among the most wanted. The dreaded Lawrence Bishnoi gang has owned the responsibility for the Sukha killing.

Meanwhile, in a further escalation of diplomatic tensions between India and Canada, New Delhi suspended its visa services in that country until further notice, with effect from September 21.

“Due to operational reasons, with effect from 21 September 2023, Indian visa services have been suspended till further notice,” the statement said.

On Wednesday, New Delhi issued an advisory to Indian nationals in Canada, including students, to exercise “utmost caution” while traveling in the country.

“In view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution. Recently, threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda,” it said.

Ties between India and Canada have remained tense on the Khalistani issue for years but started souring on Monday when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged in his Parliament address that India may have possible links with the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen wanted in India as a designated terrorist since 2020, and expelled a senior Indian diplomat.

India, which strongly denied the allegation, also expelled a Canadian diplomat and accused Canada of harboring terrorists and Khalistan supporters. It said that Canada’s inaction against extremists was a long-standing concern.

Ottawa, on Wednesday, rejected India’s travel advisory and claimed Canada is a safe country, even as another terrorist, Sukha, was killed in a gang war.

As per the 2021 census, Canada has 1.4 million people of Indian origin, making up 3.7 percent of the country’s population. India also sends the highest number of international students to Canada –in 2022, they made up 40 percent of the total overseas students in Canada, at 320,000.

To Trudeau’s allegations, India reacted strongly, stating that Canada was trying to “shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists” who had been given shelter there.

Canada is home to the largest Sikh population anywhere outside India, with around 780,000 Sikh people–more than 2 percent of the country’s population. It has seen several pro-Khalistan protests and demonstrations.

Following violent demonstrations and threats in June, India raised a “formal complaint” with Canada about the safety of its diplomats and the people of Indian origin there.

In recent years, as Pakistan tried to revive the Khalistan movement, several drug lords posing as Khalistani terrorists left India on either Indian passports, through forged travel documents, or via the Nepal route. Leading the pack of countries giving shelter to these murderers is Canada, which now accuses India of the political assassination of a Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) Hardeep Singh Nijjar without substantive proof.

Those who fled and are wanted in India include (1) Arshdeep Singh aka Arsh Dala from Moga; (2) Charnjeet Singh aka Rinku Bihla from Barnala; (3) Gurpinder Singh aka Babu Dala from Ludhiana; (4) Lakhbir Singh aka Landa from Tarn Taran; (5) Ramandeep Singh aka Raman Judge from Ferozepur; (6) Satveer Singh Warring aka Sam from Fazilika; (7) Snover Dhillion from Amritsar; (8) Sukhdool Singh aka Sukha Diuneka from Moga (murdered on Wednesday). They all got shelter in Canada.

The US-based terrorists are: (9) Amrit Bal from Kapurthala; (10) Anmol Bishnoi from Fazilika; (11) Darmanjit Singh from Amritsar; (12) Gaurav Patyal from Chandigarh; (13) Gurjant Singh from Tarn Taran; (14) Harjot Singh from Abohar; (15) Karanvir Singh from Ludhiana; (16) Kinderbir Singh from Tarn Tarn; (17) Rakjesh Kumar from SBS Nagar; (18) Rashpal Singh from Tarn Taran; (19) Satinderjit Singh aka Goldy Brar from Muktsar Sahib.

The Australia-based extremists are: (20) Gurjant Singh aka Janta from Fatehgarh Sahib, and (21) Gagandeep Singh from Ludhiana.

The Pakistan-based terrorist is (22) Harvinder Singh Sandhu aka Rinda from Nanded.

(23) Jackpal Singh aka Lali Dhaliwal from Moga and (24) Jagjeet Singh from Ludhiana are based in Malaysia, while (25) Kuldeep Singh (SBS Nagar) operates from the UAE, (26) Ramanjit Singh (Bhatinda) functions from Hong Kong, (27) Rohit Godara (Bikaner) from Italy and Portugal, (28) Sandeep Grewal (Ludhiana) from Indonesia, and (29) Supreet Singh (Batala) from Germany.

According to reports, Sukha Duneke has been aiding, funding, and strengthening drug lord Davinder Bambiha’s gang in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan. With the mask of a pro-Khalistani activist, he also made calls for extortions and indulged in ‘supari’ killings.

Duneke was orchestrating crimes in Punjab and nearby states through his gang members and figured in the border state’s most wanted list of criminals.

On March 14 last year, Duneke conspired to kill kabaddi player Sandeep Singh Nangal with the help of his associates during a kabaddi match at Mallian village in Jalandhar.

More than 20 criminal cases of murder and other heinous crimes were registered against him in Punjab and nearby states.