India news: US charges suspects in Sikh separatist murder
Published July 8, 2026last updated July 8, 2026
What you need to know
- US, Canadian and European authorities charged 37 alleged members of three India-linked crime syndicates
- Two of the people ran their global criminal syndicates while in prison in India, officials said
- England vs India T20: Captain Shreyas Iyer calls out 'atrocious' performance
Read below for a roundup of some of the top headlines from around India on Wednesday, July 8:
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West Bengal rape and murder suspect killed in police shootout
One of the suspects in the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in West Bengal was killed in a police shooting late on Tuesday, media reports said.
The police claimed that the accused, identified as Prabhas Mondal, attempted to snatch a firearm and flee during a reconstruction of the crime forcing them to shoot at him, according to the reports.
He later died in hospital.
Mondal was among three men arrested after the girl's body was recovered from a pond in South 24 Parganas district on Sunday, stuffed inside a sack.
Investigators said the three arrested suspects had confessed to involvement in the crime. A fourth suspect was detained separately in North 24 Parganas district.
On Sunday, a suspect was lynched by locals after the girl's body was found in Baruipur, on the outskirts of Kolkata.
Protesters blocked roads, burned tires and damaged police vehicles following the incident.
The Telegraph newspaper had reported that the mob also alleged police had released another suspect following the "intervention" of a local leader from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
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England vs India T20: Iyer calls out 'atrocious' performance
Captain Shreyas Iyer described his side's performance as "atrocious" after India suffered its biggest ever T20 cricket loss as England routed the world champions by 125 runs in a one-sided contest.
"Losing by such a big margin isn't acceptable," Iyer said. "We fell short, our execution was awful," he added.
Powered by 70 from Phil Salt and an unbeaten 41 from Sam Curran, England posted 201-7 before dismissing India for 76 in 11.4 overs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. While the opener was washed out, India also suffered a four-wicket loss at Old Trafford three days ago.
The Indian side did not seem to have any answer for fast bowlers Josh Tongue and Jofra Archer who ripped through India's batting order with speeds regularly exceeding 145 kmph (90 mph).
Tongue and Archer ended the match with figures of 4-28 and 3-29 respectively.
For India, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan were the highest scorers at 13 runs each.
The two teams are meeting next in the fourth T20 in Bristol on Thursday.
Lawrence Bishnoi charged in US over Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing
US authorities on Tuesday charged Indian gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his alleged North American deputy Satinderjeet Singh with orchestrating the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
The high-profile killing in 2023 had severely strained the diplomatic relationship between Canada and India at the time.
The charges were part of a sweeping international law enforcement operation involving agencies in the United States, Canada and Europe that charged 37 alleged members of three India-linked crime syndicates accused of kidnappings, racketeering, extortion, arms trafficking, drug smuggling and murder, US Attorney Bill Essayli said at a news conference.
"Working together, law enforcement in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia are determined to target and dismantle these criminal organizations wherever they operate," Essayli said.
All but 10 of the people charged are now in custody. According to US officials, two of the people ran their global criminal syndicates while in prison in India.
Bishnoi, described as "India's most notorious gangster," has been in jail in India since 2015. Singh is believed to be on the run.
How a murder led to diplomatic upheaval?
The federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles said that Bishnoi and Singh, also known as Goldy Brar, ordered Nijjar's shooting outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023.
Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was a proponent of the "Khalistan Movement," which calls for a Sikh homeland by carving out an ethno-religious state in the Punjab region of India, and had been designated a terrorist by New Delhi.
Canadian police had previously charged four Indian nationals in connection with Nijjar's killing.
A major diplomatic fallout occurred after then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canadian authorities were "actively pursuing credible allegations" linking Indian government agents to the murder.
India had refuted the allegations.
Welcome to our coverage
Hello! This is Shakeel from DW's New Delhi studio bringing you the latest developments from across India.
US authorities have charged gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar over the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023. Bishnoi is said to be running his criminal enterprise from prison in India.
Elsewhere, India suffered its biggest ever T20 loss as England routed the world champions by 125 runs in a one-sided contest. Captain Shreyas Iyer called the performance "atrocious."
And Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Australia on Wednesday with defense ties, critical minerals and uranium expected to be on the agenda.
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