For years, Satinderjeet Singh, better known as Goldy Brar, has been a key figure in the wider criminal network associated with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Now, the FBI has put Brar on its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, offering up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest.
But for the FBI, this move is not just about Goldy Brar. It is the latest step in a US investigation into organised crime networks that prosecutors say operate across India, North America and Europe. The FBI now describes Brar as armed, dangerous, and an escape risk.
According to a federal indictment, Bishnoi delegated control of the organisation to trusted lieutenants, including Brar, who allegedly helped direct members and associates across countries.
There are huge allegations against the network. US authorities accuse the enterprise of involvement in targeted killings, shootings, extortion, kidnappings and international drug trafficking, describing a criminal network whose alleged activities stretch across borders and continents. The indictment also alleges that Brar and Bishnoi ordered the 2023 assassination of a prominent political and religious figure in Canada, identified in court documents as H.S.N.
The case emerged from Operation Hard Ball, a years-long US investigation into India-based transnational organised crime groups. In July, US authorities unsealed three indictments against 37 defendants and announced 24 arrests across the United States, Canada and Europe.
One of those indictments focused on the Bishnoi enterprise. Prosecutors allege that the organisation operated as a multinational criminal enterprise, using violence and the threat of violence to build influence and extort victims, including within Indian diaspora communities.
The investigation also offers a glimpse into how US authorities say the network operated. According to the FBI, Bishnoi, despite being imprisoned in India, allegedly used contraband communication devices to direct criminal activity through members and associates abroad. Brar allegedly served as one of the lieutenants helping translate that leadership into operations outside India.
On July 1, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Singh in the United States District Court, Central District of California, after he was charged with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations conspiracy; conspiracy to interfere and attempted interference with commerce by extortion; and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
His elevation to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list therefore represents a significant escalation in the US pursuit of the alleged network. It also places a wider transnational organised-crime investigation behind the face of a fugitive the FBI says has remained beyond its reach.
The allegations remain allegations unless and until established in court.
(With inputs from agencies)
