CHANDIGARH: The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) of Canada has ordered the deportation of Indian national Abhijeet Kingra for attacking the house of Punjabi singer and rapper AP Dhillon at the behest of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
In an order, IRB member Azeem Lalji stated that a British Columbia court had earlier established that Abhijeet Kingra was a member of the Bishnoi gang. The ruling noted that the gang has been associated with serious criminal offences, including murder, shootings, arson, extortion and threats.
Lalji further observed that incidents of gang-linked extortion have increased in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, raising concerns among law enforcement agencies.
In its ruling, the IRB further stated that Kingra participated in a shooting incident at a in British Columbia, where 14 rounds were fired from a handgun into Dhillon's house and lighting his vehicles on fire helped the Bishnoi gang gain a terrifying foothold in communities from Ontario to British Columbia.
According to court records, although Dhillon was not home, the musician's roommate narrowly missed injury or death.
"And while those acts were not part of an extortion, they fit within the pattern of violence that is being committed by the Bishnoi gang against members of the Indian diaspora in Canada. It was a high-profile sequence of offences that was filmed and uploaded to the internet, which likely contributed to the Bishnoi gang’s violent reputation and to its ability to intimidate its victims," the board noted.
Sources said that during the hearing, Kingra claimed he had been offered CAD 4,000 to participate in an attack on the residence of Punjabi singer AP Dhillon on September 2, 2024.
He told the board that he was unaware he was working on behalf of the Bishnoi gang and had accepted the assignment to help support his family financially.
However, CBSA officer Jasbir Sandhu argued that the attack on Dhillon’s residence was not an extortion-related incident but rather an attempt by the Bishnoi gang to demonstrate its reach and influence.
It is learnt that on the other hand Kingra, who is presently serving his time at Mission Institution claims the Bishnoi gang has threatened to kill him if he returns to India, told IRB that he intends to appeal the deportation order to Federal Court.
Abhijeet Kingra had arrived in Canada on a student visa in 2018. Kingra reportedly told the board during the hearing he did construction, security and delivery work in Surrey before he moved to Winnipeg, where he met Vikram Sharma, a co-accused who is believed to have since fled Canada. Kingra claimed Sharma offered him $4,000 to join him for the attack. Kingra said he met Sharma through a friend while he was working at a moving company.
The deportation order will likely not be enforced immediately because Kingra is presenrtly serving the six-year sentence which he received after pleading guiltyfor arson and firearms charges in relation to the September 2024 attack of the house of Dhillon.
The deportation proceedings are a part of a broader crackdown by Canadian authorities on organised crime groups involved in extortion and violence.
According to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), more than 400 investigations linked to organized criminal activity have been launched nationwide, while 55 suspects have already been removed from the country.
