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New Delhi: A corrupt inspector who threatened to charge an innocent person with a murder if he did not pay up, a friend turned rival, a man who threatened someone as he was detained at an immigration facility, an expert Signal user when it came to issuing threats and a man who liked to call himself ‘Rolex’. 

The US’s ‘Operation Hard Ball’ names and essays the roles of gangsters and their associates who allegedly sold arms, extorted individuals, transported drugs and more – some, seemingly from within the walls of India’s most well-guarded jails. 

Here are the 37 names and the alleged roles they had. 

1. Lawrence Bishnoi One of the indictments’ most famous names is Lawrence Bishnoi, who at 33 is described as a gangster who has presided over a sweeping criminal enterprise that spanned multiple continents.

Bishnoi is imprisoned in the Sabarmati Central Jail. 

The indictment says that Bishnoi has projected an image of himself as a “patriot,” “nationalist,” and deeply religious individual through social media posts and interviews with news organisations. It says that he has used this public image to recruit members and associates to his crime syndicate in India, the United States, and elsewhere, presiding over a “sweeping criminal enterprise that spanned multiple continents.”

Using contraband cellphones and other voice-over internet protocol devices smuggled into his jail cell, Bishnoi personally directed political assassinations, murders, shootings, extortions, kidnappings, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and other crimes committed by members and associates of the Bishnoi enterprise worldwide, the indictment says.

Bishnoi is named for ordering the assassination of June 2023 assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 

The Canadian government in September 2025 designated the Bishnoi enterprise as a terrorist entity.

In India, Bishnoi is known for orchestrating the 2022 killing of singer and rival Sidhu Moosewala, and for threats to actor Salman Khan over the killing of black bucks, which the Bishnoi community considers sacred.

2. Satinderjeet Singh 

Singh, more famous as ‘Goldy Brar’ in India is a man who helped manage the Bishnoi Organised Criminal Gang’s day-to-day operations, the indictment says. 

Singh, 32, a childhood friend of Bishnoi’s, is the North American leader of the Bishnoi enterprise and is mentioned as one of the “trusted lieutenants and regional leaders” to whom Bishnoi relegated control.

According to the indictment, Brar effectively spoke for Bishnoi and helped direct acts of violence committed by the gang’s members and associates in the US, Canada, and elsewhere.

Singh, like Bishnoi, is named for ordering the assassination of June 2023 assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. 

Singh has, among other things, charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in India, over the killing of Sidhu Moosewala.

Rohit Godara, 37, of Rajasthan, is identified as the European leader of the Bishnoi enterprise.

According to the indictment, he, along with Brar, acted as Bishnoi’s lieutenant, directing targeted killings, shootings, kidnappings, maimings, assaults, extortions, and drug trafficking.

Godara’s alliases are ‘Guru’, ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘Rawata Ram’, ‘Rawata Das’, and ‘Pawan Kumar.’

Among various roles for which Godara is indicted is his social media post claiming responsibility for the murder of Sunil Yadav in Stockton, the conspiracy to extort an undercover informant without realising it, and more.

4. Sukhraj Singh Kang 

Kang, 58, is described as a high-level, India-based lieutenant in the Bishnoi OCG, who would direct and coordinate acts of violence committed by Bishnoi OCG members and associates in the US, Canada, and elsewhere, including, but not limited to, targeted killings, shootings, kidnappings, maimings, and assaults.

Along with Bishnoi, Singh and Godara, he would identify victims to extort in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere, including, in particular, prominent cultural, political, and business leaders in Indian diaspora communities, the indictment says.

Kang would, along with others, collect information on extortion targets, oversee and manage transportation of banned drugs, including 49 kilograms of cocaine in Fontana,........

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