26-year-old Abjeet Kingra was recently sentenced in Victoria Provincial Court in connection with a shooting and arson case that sough to target AP Dhillon. In a major update, court records obtained by CBC News indicated that the Indian man hired to “terrorise” the Punjabi singer came to Canada four years ago on a student visa.

The now-sentenced Winnipeg resident, who was arrested last October, came to Canada with big aspirations about finishing his studies, finding a job and possibly even securing permanent residence so that his acts could enable “other family members to settle here,” according to a judge. In the wake of his involvement in the case, he now faces his student visa expiration and deportation.

Abjeet Kingra sentenced in AP Dhillon shooting case came to Canada on a student visa

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) official news release dated October 1, the Indian man’s sentencing made news on September 26, over a year after the incident took place in Canada.

ALSO READ

Kingra was sentenced for two years in jail over arson damaging property, and six years for intentionally discharging a firearm into a place knowing or being reckless as to whether another person was present, or being reckless as to the life or safety of another person. The declaration further highlighted that the shooter had not acted in isolation, given his connection to the Bishnoi Gang.

Merely days after official news release detailing his sentence details rolled out, Canadian outlet CBC News cited official documents noting that the accused attacker had struggle in school, while also not being able to make a name for himself in the Canadian employment scene. As a result, he “failed to meet [his] family’s financial needs back home, thus taking on this contract,” court records said of Kingra’s joining the Bishnoi gang.

Quoting submissions from the accused’s lawyer, Judge Lisa Mrozinski said, “It was put that you: ‘Put your family’s need ahead of the safety of others,’ but “Mr Kingra, these were your needs and your family can in no way be held responsible for these offences.”

AP Dhillon shooting, arson case – Bishnoi gang involvement

As per an audio of the sentencing acquired by the news outlet, the judge further called out Kingra’s behaviour, pointing out that he filmed the violent incident on a body camera. “Within hours of these offences, the Bishnoi group took responsibility for them. They were able to do this on an international stage largely because the footage captured by your body cam was posted online within hours of these offences occurring,” she said.

On top of that Mrozinski established that Kingra appeared to be “quite calculated or deliberate” in his actions, as he captured a footage that is “almost cinematic in nature.” Drawing parallels between the incident and a “violent movie or video game,” she questioned how something like this could have happened in a residential neighbourhood in Langford, British Columbia.

Addressing why singer AP Dhillon was ultimately targeted by the Bishnoi gang, Mrozinski added, his “apparent transgression was to have included an individual in one of his music videos who had himself fallen afoul of this organisation,” referring to Salman Khan’s cameo in one of the Punjabi artist’s videos (“Old Money”).

ALSO READ

She went on to describe Kingra as a “follower, rather than a leader in the enterprise,” as his offences were “done on contract for a criminal organisation operating internationally.”

AP Dhillon Canada shooting – What happened

Although born in India, Dhillon was raised in Ontario. His home in Colwood became the centre of a targeted attack in a 2024 shooting incident. Perpetrated by the Bishnoi Gang, which Canada views as a terrorist entity, the arson suspect Abjeet Kingra has already been sentenced. Meanwhile, is co-accused, 24-year-old Vikram Sharma, is said to be in India.

RCMP had previously disclosed that they responded to a reports of gunshots and vehicles having been set ablaze on September 2, 2024. Although the police ultimately evacuated the house, with the fire being extinguished, two vehicles were “fully engulfed” in flamed by the time cops reached the scene.