OTTAWA, APRIL 14: Canadian immigration officials suspended the deportation hearing of an alleged Lawrence Bishnoi gang member after authorities could not confirm his physical location during a scheduled virtual appearance. Abjeet Kingra, who was convicted for a 2024 attack on Punjabi singer AP Dhillon’s residence, remains in custody, though administrative lapses led to the sudden halt of the legal proceedings.
The Immigration and Refugee Board member presiding over the case closed the session after the Canada Border Services Agency failed to produce the suspect on screen. While Kingra is serving a prison sentence, he had been moved between facilities without the necessary updates being provided to the board.
“Without knowing where he is, there’s not much else we can do,” the board member stated before adjourning the hearing. Corrections officials later affirmed that the suspect was still in their custody, attributing the incident to a lack of inter-agency coordination.
Kingra, an Indian national who entered Canada on a student visa that subsequently expired, was sentenced to six years in prison in 2025. He pleaded guilty to charges related to a targeted shooting and arson at Dhillon’s home in Colwood, British Columbia. During the assault, Kingra reportedly used a body camera to film himself firing into the residence and setting two vehicles ablaze, footage that was later used by the Bishnoi syndicate to claim responsibility.
Federal authorities have identified the Bishnoi group as a criminal organization involved in widespread extortion targeting prominent figures within the Indo-Canadian community. Despite Lawrence Bishnoi’s incarceration in India, Canadian investigators maintained that he continues to oversee international operations. The deportation effort is part of a broader crackdown on the syndicate, which officials have labeled a threat to public safety.
