Canadian provincial chief calls for Lawrence Bishnoi gang to be designated as ‘terrorists’

The premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia, David Eby, on Tuesday urged the federal government to designate jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s group as a terrorist organisation, reported CBC News.

The move is aimed at tackling extortion cases linked to the group in several provinces of the North American country.

This came after a public safety forum was held over the weekend in Surrey to address crimes being faced by South Asian business owners. Police have said that members of the community were being extorted after being threatened with death or violence. Bishnoi’s gang is allegedly linked to such cases.

Bishnoi, a gangster from Punjab, is currently lodged at Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Central Jail. He has been linked to multiple crimes, including the Canadian government’s allegations that agents of the Indian government were working with his gang to plan and execute violence in North America.

“There are allegations that gangs in India are operating here in our province, and in other provinces, to intimidate and extort business owners,” The Globe and Mail quoted Eby as having told reporters in Victoria on Tuesday.

The provincial chief said that he would be writing to Prime Minister Mark Carney “to ask that one of the gangs that is self-identified as being involved in some of these activities, the...

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