Surrey Sikh community faces life threats and censorship as Operation Hard Ball charges Bishnoi gang over Nijjar killing
Surrey's Sikh community is navigating a convergence of serious security and cultural stories. Canadian and U.S. authorities have announced sweeping charges against Indian-linked crime syndicates connected to the 2023 assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, while the RCMP has issued formal warnings to Sikh activists facing credible threats to their lives. At the same time, a film about a Sikh human rights activist that India has suppressed from streaming platforms is finding passionate audiences at community screenings in Surrey and across Canada.
RCMP issues duty-to-warn letters to Sikh activists in B.C. and Ontario
The RCMP has issued formal "duty to warn" letters to Sikh activists in British Columbia and Ontario, alerting them of credible threats against their lives. The warnings were reported by The Canadian Press on August 18, 2026, and arise in the context of the ongoing investigation into the 2023 killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the president of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Sahib in Surrey. A photograph of Nijjar displayed on a banner outside the gurdwara has become a central symbol of the community's grief and its demands for accountability. British Columbia's attorney general acknowledged that the community has been deeply affected by disclosures that the Canadian government is investigating a potential link between the government of India and Nijjar's death, though insiders within the Sikh community noted the possibility did not come as a surprise to them. The "duty to warn" mechanism is a formal legal procedure through which Canadian law enforcement alerts individuals of serious, credible threats to their safety. Its application to Sikh activists in both B.C. and Ontario signals an elevated and continuing threat environment for those engaged in advocacy related to the Punjab sovereignty movement or who have been openly critical of the Indian government. [3]
🎬 India-banned film Satluj draws Surrey diaspora to community screenings
A film about Sikh human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra that has been suppressed in India is generating significant interest at community screenings across Canada, including events planned in Surrey, B.C. Satluj stars Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role, depicting Khalra's work to investigate and publicly expose extrajudicial killings and disappearances of Sikhs during Punjab's separatist insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s. India's film censorship board, which must approve all cinematic releases before they can be shown in the country, blocked the film from release for approximately two to three years, according to independent journalist and author Gurpreet Singh, who is based in Delta, B.C. When Satluj was finally launched on a streaming platform in July 2026, it was removed within 48 hours under government orders that cited security concerns, as reported by Indian media. The rapid takedown intensified diaspora interest in the film. Community screenings arranged in Surrey for that weekend provided Punjabi and Sikh audiences in British Columbia with an opportunity to view a story that the Indian state has repeatedly sought to prevent from reaching a wide audience. [4]
Operation Hard Ball charges Indian crime syndicates tied to Nijjar assassination and extortion
Canadian and U.S. authorities jointly announced sweeping allegations of racketeering, extortion and murder against a trio of Indian-linked crime syndicates under an operation called "Operation Hard Ball." The most prominent of the three groups targeted is the Bishnoi gang, directed from a jail cell in India by Lawrence Bishnoi. The gang faces charges connected to the extortion crisis that has been gripping communities in Ontario and British Columbia, as well as the 2023 assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey. FBI Los Angeles assistant director Patrick Grandy appeared alongside RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme to declare the operation a strike "at the heart of three brutal transnational organizations that have terrorized families, exploited communities and stolen lives." Multiple arrests were carried out in northern California as part of the enforcement action. The joint U.S. indictment, though sweeping in scope, also raised questions among observers about the extent and current state of the Bishnoi gang's alleged operations on Canadian soil. Evidence referenced in the case included footage of gang member Abjeet Singh Kingra filming himself firing shots at singer AP Dhillon's home in the Victoria area in September 2024, illustrating the alleged network's reach into the Canadian entertainment world. [9]
Sources: [3] CityNews Vancouver · [4] CBC · [9] Radio-Canada