Bindy Johal

Early life Johal was born in 1971 (although some sources have noted 1972 and 1973) in South Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, although some later sources claim he was born in Shankar Nakodar Punjab, India, although this is not corroborated by any primary sources. Bindy was born into a Jatt Sikh family of the Johal clan. Most sources state he was born and raised in Vancouver although some later one claim that he immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia with his family at the age of four. His parents separated and he was raised by his mother. He was increasingly temperamental, resented discipline, and had a lack of respect and remorse for others. He suffered from severe depression when his parents cut his hair after an armed assault in Canada in the aftermath of the Assassination of Indira Gandhi, which happened miles away in Delhi, his mother said, "That was the only time I saw another expression of his other than anger and silence." Johal was considered to be a "problem child" by his teachers. One of Johal's teachers, Rob Sandhu, stated: "When he came into Grade 8, it didn't seem like he had any problems. It seems these kids are not being flagged. But teachers are raising these issues, so why aren't we acting on it?"

Although he did well in school and was even on the honour roll, he was expelled from Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School and sentenced to 60 days in jail after he "brutally" assaulted his vice-principal in 1989. Johal tried to justify his behaviour at his trial in a defence that the journalist Jerry Langton wrote "smacked of cold-blooded cynicism" by saying that as an Indo-Canadian that he was the victim of a racist society and he was only just lashing out against society by beating up his vice-principal so severely that he had to go to the hospital emergency room to save his life. The judge at Johal's trial rejected this defence. The judge noted there was no evidence that the vice-principal was a racist and that whatever slights and insults Johal may have endured from others was no excuse for the assault.

Having moved to Richmond, British Columbia, Johal enrolled in McNair Secondary School. Johal smashed in the window of a car using a baseball bat and was convicted of possession of a dangerous weapon. Johal enrolled in college, but dropped out after his first semester to begin his criminal career. Johal joined a once Hispanic gang called Los Diablos ("The Devils"). As the membership of Los Diablos became more Indo-Canadian, the gang was renamed as the Punjabi Mafia. He built a reputation as a hit-man working for Jimmy and Ron Dosanjh, both of whom he would later betray and have killed.

Dosanjh murders Johal was responsible for the murders of gangster brothers Ron Dosanjh and Jimmy Dosanjh. Johal knew that Jimmy Dosanjh had taken out a contract to kill him for over C$230,000, according to Crown prosecutors. Guess was sentenced to 18 months after being convicted of obstruction of justice. The Crown appealed the acquittal of Johal and other defendants, but Johal was killed before the new trial began. Bindy Johal was accepted into the Punjabi Mafia in the early 1990s most likely through Ranjit Cheema or Ron Dosanjh. Ranjit Cheema and Ron Dosanjh were among the few who had full control of the criminal organization.

According to Johal's former lieutenant Bal Buttar,

Johal made no effort to disguise the fact that he was a gangster, and would threaten the lives of rivals in interviews with television crews. Johal became a folk hero in the Lower Mainland, being admired for his success as a gangster, and many of the young men who joined organized crime admitted that it was Johal's example that inspired them to turn to crime. One gangster who wished to remain anonymous told the academic Arthur J. Pais: "To many young people in the immigrant community who feel that Canadian society does not give them enough chance to succeed, joining gangsters is an exercise in building their self-esteem. Why do you think Bindy Johal was a hero to many young Indo-Canadians. His legend had spread wide in the past few years among Indians not only here but also in Toronto and Montreal, New York and San Francisco. He stood up to his school principles, he beat up those who called him racial namesand he was making a lot of money even though he was in his mid-twenties. He drove fancy cars, he had girls falling over him".

His gang was responsible for several murders. The first one killed was Amarjit Singh Dheil who was shot dead while leaving the Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre on January 19, 1997, after watching a hockey game. Dheil was an associate of the Dosanjh brothers, and Johal wanted to see all of the associates of the Dosanjh brothers killed least they try to avenge them. On October 21, 1997, "The Elite" killed Gorinder Singh Khun Khun as he leaving his home. Khun Khun had attended high school alongside Johal, and considered him a friend. Johal in a moment of paranoia was convinced that Khun Khun was involved in the Olson murder, which led him to order Khun Khun's murder. On July 1, 1998, Johal had "The Elite" kill Vinuse News MacKenzie. The reason for MacKenzie's murder was eliminate a romantic rival for the affections of a woman who preferred Mackenzie over Johal.

On September 19, 1998, a member of the gang, Derek Chand Shankar, insulted Johal, calling him an "idiot" and a "baby" after Johal stated he was felt too tired to go to a nightclub. Later the same night, Johal showed up at the nightclub and asked Buttar where Shankar was. Buttar stated that he was drunk and sleeping in a truck in the parking lot. Despite knowing that Johal was planning to kill Shankar, Buttar drove the truck to the Queensborough Bridge in New Westminster. As Shankar was waking up from his stupor, Johal shot him. On November 29, 1998, Johal's associate, Roman "Danny" Mann expressed the wish to leave the gang, leading to Johal to punch him out in fury. Later the same night, Mann's body was found in an empty industrial lot in Burnaby with a single bullet through his head. When Buttar asked Johal about the murder, he stated: "Blame it on the H.A. [Hells Angels]". Johal then asked Buttar if he wanted to go to a nightclub with him.

Death On Sunday, December 20, 1998, Johal was dancing at the Palladium nightclub in Vancouver when he was shot from behind at 4:30 a.m. He was rushed to Vancouver General Hospital where he died 4 hours later. No witnesses were able to describe the assailant. Four months before Johal's death, "at least three of Johal's associates had also been killed", with each killing alleged to be connected to Bindy, according to the confessions of Bal Buttar. Buttar died in November 2011.

Kash Heed, commanding officer of the 3rd Police District in Vancouver, stated that it was really disappointing that someone as bright and intelligent as Johal would turn to a life of crime. He added that young people who want to emulate gangsters like Bindy see the benefits of being a criminal, but do not see the danger of putting their lives at risk.

In popular culture Beeba Boys, fictionalized film inspired by real crimes including those committed by Bindy Johal