When Dharmjit Mand’s home and farm in Caledon, Ont., were shot at on Nov. 25, 2025, he thought moving his family to his brother’s house would provide them safety.
However, on Dec. 11, bullets came through the garage and windows.
No one was injured during the shootings, which Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are still looking into, but Mand mentioned it all began with a series of Whats App messages and calls in October.
A man claiming to be affiliated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang demanded that Mand pay him $2 million. When he refused, Mand says the man started issuing threats.
After the shooting on Nov. 25, the man sent him a video that reviewed, seemingly showing his farm being shot at. Following the Dec. 11 incident, the man warned Mand that he would be targeted next.
“We cannot sleep,” Mand stated.
The Bishnoi gang, which has origins in India and was labeled a terrorist organization by Canada last year, has been accused of targeting South Asian individuals in incidents making news in B. C., Brampton, and now Caledon.
The OPP reported at least 41 extortion incidents in Caledon since December 2023 that seem to follow a similar pattern; however, it’s uncertain how many are directly linked to the Bishnoi gang.
Victims receive calls and messages threatening violence unless they pay a ransom-often with perpetrators aware of their residences or workplaces-as detailed in a police release about this issue.
The mayor of Caledon asserts that there aren’t enough resources available locally to handle these situations and is calling for federal intervention.
“I am asking the federal government to act and support efforts to help end this international extortion activity,” Mayor Annette Groves wrote in a letter addressed to both the prime minister and public safety minister dated Dec. 23.
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Fourteen reported shootings were linked with extortion cases like Mand’s, according to the OPP. (Naama Weingarten/CBC)
According to OPP spokesperson Jesse Nobleman speaking with in a statement, fourteen reported shootings have been connected with extortion cases in Caledon; so far five people have been arrested while investigations continue.
The most recent incident occurred on Tuesday when Groves told about a business that had been shot at multiple times recently. She mentioned that around $70,000 from the province went towards installing CCTV cameras at key locations last fall to assist police in capturing shooters.
“This has gotten out of hand,” she commented. “Local municipalities need more police officers.”
Mand spent weeks living nervously out of a hotel after the second shooting; he knows people who have left Caledon due to threats they received.
“I hope that from that summit they are going to take everything we say very seriously and.. put their money where their mouth is,” she expressed. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown also reached out last month via letter requesting federal funding for a task force addressing these issues similarly as B. C.’s provincial task force received aid.
Groves hopes for something comparable. A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree did not directly address whether or not resources will be allocated for helping both Caledon and Brampton.
“The Minister is contacting governments as well as local leaders throughout Canada ensuring all federal tools are utilized effectively against disrupting these criminal networks behind extortion incidents,” Simon Lafortune noted via email. In light of everything happening after spending ten years living in Caledon, Mand mentions he’s considering relocating his family south of the border.
“Right now it’s not safe anymore,” he remarked.
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Gang believed responsible for extortion
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang is one among several criminal groups from northern India expanding into North America according to Canadian police sources. Nobleman from OPP mentioned that extortion cases occurring in Caledon show connections with organized crime groups but did not specify which gang it was. “We don’t want to legitimize these groups or risk affecting criminal proceedings by naming them,” he stated. Since Grove sent her letter to Ottawa, she says there hasn’t been any commitment from officials for assistance; however, she has been invited to an anti-extortion summit taking place next week.“I hope that from that summit they are going to take everything we say very seriously and.. put their money where their mouth is,” she expressed. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown also reached out last month via letter requesting federal funding for a task force addressing these issues similarly as B. C.’s provincial task force received aid.
Groves hopes for something comparable. A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree did not directly address whether or not resources will be allocated for helping both Caledon and Brampton.
“The Minister is contacting governments as well as local leaders throughout Canada ensuring all federal tools are utilized effectively against disrupting these criminal networks behind extortion incidents,” Simon Lafortune noted via email. In light of everything happening after spending ten years living in Caledon, Mand mentions he’s considering relocating his family south of the border.
“Right now it’s not safe anymore,” he remarked.
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