Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is calling on the federal government to formally designate the India-based Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity, citing a growing threat to public safety in the Region of Peel and beyond. In a letter sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, Brown and city councillors Navjit Kaur Brar, Harkirat Singh, and Gurpartap Singh Toor warned that the criminal organization, allegedly led by Lawrence Bishnoi from inside Sabarmati Central Jail in India, has been linked to a series of violent crimes across Canada.
The letter outlines how the gang recruits vulnerable individuals — including international students and people struggling with addiction — to serve as shooters, a tactic the Brampton officials say is destabilizing communities and disproportionately harming marginalized groups. The leaders stressed the urgent need for federal action, noting that such a designation would grant law enforcement enhanced tools for intelligence sharing and criminal investigation.
Speaking on Friday, Mayor Brown described Bishnoi as one of India’s most dangerous crime figures and said he is believed to control a network of 700 shooters operating internationally. Brown said he and the Premier of British Columbia have both initiated efforts to have the group officially recognized as a terrorist organization in Canada to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to dismantle the network.
“A number of the extortions and murders we’ve seen have been attributed to this network,” Brown said. “We want to make sure our police have the necessary tools to do their job and combat this criminal scourge.”
Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah also voiced support for the designation, saying it would send a clear message to both the community and criminal groups while providing police with critical investigative tools.
Public Safety Canada confirmed that the process to designate an organization under the Criminal Code is ongoing and involves strict legal and evidentiary standards. Spokesperson Noémie Allard noted that such a listing requires reasonable grounds to believe the entity has knowingly engaged in or facilitated terrorist activity or acted on behalf of a listed terrorist organization. Allard emphasized that the final decision is based on intelligence, evidence, and law, but declined to confirm if the Bishnoi gang is currently under review.