5 charged in Surrey extortion-linked shootings as Lawrence Bishnoi gang claims fresh attacks in Canada

The first case dates to August 10, 2024, when shots were fired and an arson attempt made at a Port Kells home near 88 Avenue and 192 Street. The following day, the residents received an extortion demand.

On October 6, the British Columbia Prosecution Service approved charges against Abjeet Kingra, 26, and Vikram Sharma, 24, for discharging a firearm for arson. Kingra, already serving time for another offence, was remanded in custody. Sharma remains at large, with warrants also in a West Shore police case. The police have circulated his description: 5 feet 9 inches, 174 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Three others were charged in a separate March 27, 2025, shooting at a residence in the 13300 block of 89A Avenue. Bullets struck the home at 1.55 am, but caused no injuries.

Mandeep Gidda, 23, Nirmaandeep Cheema, 20, and Arundeep Singh, 26 face charges of reckless discharge of a firearm. Gidda and Cheema were remanded after appearing in court Monday, while Singh is due Wednesday. A February 18 shooting at the same address remains unsolved.

Lawrence Bishnoi gang link

The charges gained attention because Kingra was recently sentenced in the high-profile attack on Punjabi singer A P Dhillon’s Vancouver Island home. On September 26, 2025, a Victoria court gave him a concurrent six-year term, 4.5 years after credit for time served, for arson and gunfire at Dhillon’s Colwood property in September 2024. The court noted he acted under orders from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which was declared a terrorist entity by Ottawa.

The gang has been tied to dozens of Canadian incidents since 2023, including the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey. On October 6, self-identified Bishnoi associate Fateh Portugal posted videos claiming responsibility for three recent shootings targeting properties linked to businessman Navi Dhesi (aka Navi Tesi), including the Swift 1200 AM radio station, which had aired anti-gang commentary hours earlier.

Portugal alleged Dhesi extorted $5 million from singers using the Bishnoi name, a charge the family denies. The police are investigating but cautioned against spreading online threats.

Fresh violence

Even as charges were unveiled, gunfire struck Ustaad G76 Indian Cuisine in South Surrey’s 2100 block of King George Boulevard at 2.20 a.m. Monday. No injuries were reported, but the restaurant’s facade was hit with bullets. The police suspect extortion links, citing attacks on the chain’s Maple Ridge outlet on October 1 and a nearby radio station on September 29.

Later that afternoon, the SkyTrain and police office shootings rattled Surrey’s core. No injuries occurred, but the police station was locked down while an explosives team checked an abandoned bag, which proved harmless.

Police response

Authorities have mounted a multi-agency push against the extortion wave. In September, British Columbia launched a 40-officer task force led by Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s federal police force, backed by $200,000 in provincial funds. Surrey added a $250,000 reward for tips and opened a Punjabi-staffed hotline (236-485-5149).

“These arrests are a positive step, but one charge doesn’t erase the fear,” said Surrey Chief Constable Norm Lipinski. Assistant Commander Chief Supt. Duncan Pound pledged more resources to “secure further charges”.

Community leaders say businesses remain on edge. “Families are terrified; reporting saves lives,” one shop owner said, standing outside boarded-up windows.

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