LA Desi Watch: Bishnoi Gang's California Reach and BAPS Diwali in the Southland

The South Asian community in Los Angeles spans two very different headlines this cycle — one exposing the long arm of Indian organised crime reaching deep into California's streets, the other celebrating the warmth and continuity of Diwali tradition at one of the diaspora's most beloved mandirs.

Indian Terror Network's California Operations Exposed by Federal Authorities

Federal authorities have detailed how California became a critical financial and operational hub for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang — an Indian criminal network that has attracted international attention for its alleged role in a series of murders, extortion schemes, and targeted political violence. According to a New York Post investigation citing federal law enforcement sources, the gang used mass crime schemes across California to bankroll its operations, with proceeds from gun trafficking and drug distribution flowing back to fund activities that federal officials have characterised as terrorism-adjacent. The Bishnoi gang, led by Lawrence Bishnoi who remains incarcerated in India, has been linked to the high-profile murder of Punjabi pop star Sidhu Moosewala in 2022 and to credible threats against Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. Its California connections allegedly provided both a revenue stream and a recruitment ground, with the gang reportedly exploiting diaspora networks and existing criminal ecosystems within the state. The case has drawn scrutiny from law enforcement on both sides of the Atlantic and has prompted deep concern within South Asian communities in California about the network's reach into immigrant communities. For the broader Desi community in Los Angeles — home to one of the country's largest concentrations of Indian-Americans and Punjabi diaspora members — the revelations are a sobering reminder that the gang politics of Punjab, rooted in caste conflict and criminal rivalry, can extend far beyond the subcontinent's borders into the heart of Southern California. [5]

🪔 BAPS Swaminarayan Lights Up Los Angeles with Diwali and Annakut Celebration

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha brought together the Hindu diaspora across the Los Angeles area for its annual Diwali and Annakut celebration — a vibrant community observance that sits at the heart of the Gujarati and broader Hindu South Asian experience in Southern California. The BAPS organisation, which maintains a significant presence across North America through its network of mandirs and cultural programs, traditionally marks the post-Diwali festival of Annakut — literally 'mountain of food' — with an elaborate offering of hundreds of vegetarian dishes to the deity, followed by darshan open to the wider public. For the Gujarati community that forms the backbone of BAPS membership in the Los Angeles area, the celebration is both a devotional act and a vital social anchor, bringing families, children, and elders together at the peak of the Hindu festival calendar. The event draws participants from across the South Asian diaspora in Southern California, welcoming Hindus of all regional backgrounds alongside non-Hindu neighbours and guests curious about the tradition. BAPS's presence in Southern California reflects the broader growth and institutional maturity of the Indian-American community: from relatively modest congregations in the 1970s and 1980s, organisations like BAPS have built permanent mandirs, cultural centres, and youth programs that now serve hundreds of thousands of families. Diwali celebrations of this scale are increasingly visible markers of Desi community life in Los Angeles, illuminating the city's diversity in the most literal sense. [4]

Sources: [5] New York Post · [4] BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha