India's global crime network

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The arrest of 24 suspects across the United States, Canada and Europe under the US-led Operation Hard Ball is another reminder of the sprawl of India's organised crime. But while most of the governments involved would be celebrating the scuttling of the gangs' international operations, for the Indian government the arrests are an embarrassing indictment of its unwillingness to take on organised crime at home. Indeed, some of the foreign law enforcement officials involved have credited Indian cooperation in cracking down on the gangs. Yet, the same gangs operate with impunity in India.

Take the example of Lawrence Bishnoi, leader of one of India's most fearsome gangs and imprisoned for the better part of a decade. Bishnoi allegedly has a whole barrack in the jail to himself and freely communicates with his lieutenants on the outside. Though New Delhi and Indian media propagandists have repeatedly tried to claim that Bishnoi is tied to Sikh separatist groups, foreign law enforcement agencies have shown - with actual evidence - that Bishnoi's gang has been assassinating pro-Khalistan dissidents in different countries, including foreign nationals. Analysts and members of the Sikh community allege that the Canadian government has recently been downplaying New Delhi's connection to the assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist. They argue that Ottawa is minimising the role of the Bishnoi gang to protect its trade ties with India. To substantiate this, critics point to claims that an Indian diplomat in Vancouver leaked critical information about the victim directly to members of the gang.

At least one investigation into a foiled assassination attempt in the US has also drawn a rock-solid link with Indian government officials. With this in mind, it is hardly surprising that the gang bosses in India are treated like royalty inside prison. At the bare minimum, other countries need to demand that India actually take measures to treat these crime bosses like criminals, rather than assets of the government.