Gandhi Assassin's Nephew Named in NZ's Largest Meth Bust

Baltej Singh, the nephew of one of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's assassins, has been publicly identified as the mastermind behind New Zealand's largest methamphetamine importation operation, following a court decision to lift his name suppression order. The 2023 bust involved over 700 kilograms of the drug, valued at around NZ$180 million, and Singh is now serving a 22-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to related charges.

Singh's identity became public on March 28, 2026, after he withdrew an appeal to New Zealand's Supreme Court, ending a nearly three-year legal battle over permanent name suppression. Initially granted by the High Court in 2023, the order was based on arguments from Singh's lawyer, Ron Mansfield KC, that naming him would expose Singh and his family to extreme danger due to their ties to Satwant Singh, one of the bodyguards who assassinated Gandhi in 1984 amid tensions following Operation Bluestar. In an affidavit, Singh's father stated that the family had become "notorious" among Sikhs and Hindus worldwide, facing constant threats and intimidation linked to the anti-Sikh violence that erupted in India after the assassination.