India, July 8 -- The United States has formally charged jailed Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close associate Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar for allegedly orchestrating the 2023 assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, according to a federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. US prosecutors allege that Bishnoi directed the operation from prison in India, while Goldy Brar coordinated the syndicate's activities in North America. The indictment identifies Nijjar as "HSN" in court documents.

The charges are part of a broader US-led crackdown on transnational organised crime. Federal author...