India, July 11 -- The unsealing of a federal indictment in Los Angeles on July 8 has opened a can of worms for Indian authorities. After a two-year investigation by FBI, Los Angeles police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and US Customs and Border officials, US prosecutors have chargesheeted Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and some of his associates of orchestrating the 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. The allegations are part of indictments under the US government's Operation Hard Ball, targeting transnational organised crime groups. The ball this lobs at New Delhi is tricky. Apart from the diplomatic storm it started between India, Canada, and the US, Nijjar's murder raised questions about the ethics and effectiveness of settling political scores on foreign lands. When Canada alleged the Indian government's involvement in the assassination, using the Bishnoi gang, and espionage operations within their respective territories, the latter condemned these claims as preposterous. The arrest of Nikhil Gupta in the US caused further reputational damage. With latest revelation that the Indian government had no role in the killing, New Delhi stands partially vindicated. But, its problems are far from over. The US has invoked the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act (RICO) against Bishnoi and aides. RICO once targeted the infamous Mafia, including the five dreaded New York families - the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese. The Bishnoi gang joining this unenviable list must make Indian authorities take note of the severe lacunae in their fight against organised crime. Bishnoi can't operate without patronage from powerful people in the establishment. The fact that he has been imprisoned since 2015, and in solitary confinement since 2023, begs the original question. While his lawyer claims innocence, Bishnoi himself bragged about orchestrating a shooting in Vancouver in November 2023. How difficult, then, would it have been for him to indulge in extortion and intimidation through proxies? A serving policeman earlier admitted on record that Bishnoi "runs his gang seamlessly from prison". Elsewhere in the indictment, the naming of a serving Punjab Police personnel, Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, for aiding the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang in international extortion, is an added embarrassment for India. The World Bank's Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Review (LACER) projected the region's economic growth to be at the bottom of the list, highlighting how organised crime "exacerbates economic woes". United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) has repeatedly underscored the negative impact of organised crime on economy and security perception. There is enough research to prove that transnational gangs such as Bishnoi's also interfere with political and governance processes at every level. While India is nowhere near Latin American and Caribbean countries in terms of gang activity, it can ill afford any such negatives. IMF has projected India to be the fastest growing major economy till at least 2028. New Delhi's globalbids for investments stand to get stymied if criminalsdo not get treated as criminals and continue their operations from jail. The presence of large "transcontinental gangs" in India is not a good lookfor a government committed to development andglobal standing. India needs demonstrable willagainst any attempts to cause socio-political and economic instability. How New Delhi deals withthe extradition request of Bishnoi and Nagra will, therefore, be significant....