Killing Baba Siddique to criminal network in Canada, while in jail: Lawrence Bishnoi and his band of trusted lieutenants

IN 2021, erstwhile a Delhi Police squad connected the way of a execution accused landed up successful a colony successful Punjab’s Sangrur district, they were successful for a surprise. It turned retired that the antheral they were aft — Delhi-based Mohammad Shahrukh, an subordinate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi — had squeezed successful a speedy sojourn to an unadvertised equine auction.

The constabulary enquiry revealed that portion the winning bid, of Rs 95 lakh, was made by a baba who headed a dera successful the state, the 2nd highest bid, astatine Rs 90 lakh, was by a typical of histrion Salman Khan. With the histrion not connected the scene, Shahrukh had turned his attraction to the winning baba and decided to marque immoderate wealth disconnected him – allegedly extorting Rs 1 crore from him.

Police accidental that until they stumbled connected the equine auction, they hadn’t realised however intimately the Bishnoi pack had been monitoring histrion Salman Khan’s movements, purportedly implicit him shooting a blackbuck successful 1998. It’s an obsession that has continued to this day, with the pack issuing aggregate threats to Salman, including firing extracurricular his location successful November 2023 and the October 12 sidesplitting of NCP person Baba Siddique, the actor’s adjacent friend.

Over the past 2 years, Bishnoi’s sanction has cropped up successful transportation with immoderate of the astir headline-grabbing crimes – from the sidesplitting of fashionable Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala connected June 6, 2022, to Canada’s caller allegation that “agents” of the Indian authorities were collaborating with the Bishnoi pack to dispersed panic connected Canadian soil, a complaint that India has denied.

All this, portion the antheral himself has been successful jailhouse since 2014 aft his archetypal shootout with the constabulary astatine a picket en way to Rajasthan’s Salasar Balaji Temple. He is presently lodged successful Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Central Jail.

Despite his decade-long incarceration, Bishnoi’s network has lone grown, states the National Investigation Agency (NIA) successful its 128-page chargesheet filed successful March 2023 successful an Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) lawsuit against him and 15 others. Likening his emergence to that of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, the bureau believes that from his jailhouse cell, Bishnoi controls a pack of “700 operatives, 300 among them from his location authorities Punjab”.

Dismissing these allegations, Bishnoi’s advocator Rajani told The Indian Express, “No telephone has been recovered from Bishnoi successful jail. There is nary mode of connection which has been established by immoderate investigative agency.”

Born Balkaran Brar, determination are respective stories surrounding wherefore and however helium became “Lawrence Bishnoi”, a sanction helium adopted portion successful school. He reportedly told a Delhi Police Special Cell squad that it was suggested by his paternal aunt and that “Lawrence sounded better”.

Sitting connected a cot nether a banyan histrion successful Fazilka district’s Dotaranwali village, Bishnoi’s ancestral village, his relative Ramesh Bishnoi, 50, tells The Indian Express that the household had ne'er imagined successful their wildest dreams that “our kid would crook retired similar this”.

“Our household has ever been wealthy. Bishnoi’s begetter was a constable with the Haryana Police and owns 110 acres successful the village. Bishnoi ever wore costly apparel and shoes. In fact, adjacent now, his household spends Rs 35-40 lakh annually connected him successful jail,” says Ramesh, who past saw the gangster astir a decennary agone erstwhile helium was brought to Abohar for a tribunal hearing.

The NIA chargesheet traces Bishnoi’s improvement into a transgression mastermind, starting 2008, erstwhile helium went down bars for the archetypal time, allegedly for firing astatine a rival during the students’ national elections astatine Panjab University (PU). He was past a pupil of instrumentality astatine PU successful Chandigarh. According to his constabulary dossier, 18 of the 84 cases registered against Bishnoi since 2008 were filed portion helium was successful college, wherever helium was portion of the Student Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU).

It was pupil politics, the dossier states, that brought him adjacent to Sampat Nehra, Virender Pratap Singh alias Kala Rana, Satwinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar and Amandeep Multani – men who would extremity up being portion of his gang’s halfway team. These associations furthered Bishnoi’s descent into the satellite of crime, triggered by a spat helium was embroiled successful during his SOPU days. “While campaigning for a nominee successful 2008, Bishnoi and the others got into a spat with students from a rival faction,” an serviceman says.

Police reports accidental Bishnoi’s person fired the archetypal informing changeable and others followed suit. Five days later, “yaaron ka yaar (an highly loyal friend)” Bishnoi and 7 others reportedly acceptable occurrence to the car belonging to a idiosyncratic campaigning for a rival candidate. “Bishnoi and his 8 friends were arrested wrong 10 days. In jail, helium met Ranjeet Dupla, an arms supplier who presently runs a transport concern successful the US. The duo introduced each different to their transgression acquaintances,” the serviceman says.

Two months aft helium stepped retired of jail, Bishnoi, who had a fondness for bodybuilding and costly clothes, got caught up successful assemblage elections erstwhile again. “He would sojourn different colleges and get into spats with rival candidates. Several cases were registered against him, but each of them were quashed aft some parties arrived astatine a compromise,” an serviceman says.

In 2010, aft a failed effort astatine contesting for SOPU president, helium allegedly assaulted his rival and ended up successful custody. Out connected bail, successful 2011, helium contested the SOPU predetermination erstwhile again for the aforesaid post. This time, helium won.

In 2012, Bishnoi graduated from Panjab University with an LLB degree, but helium and his friends continued to dabble successful pupil authorities of the astir convulsive kind. In 2013, helium nominated a SOPU campaigner for the president’s post. While campaigning, Bishnoi and his associates allegedly killed the rival nominee and fled.

“His luck ran retired erstwhile helium was caught astatine a constabulary picket successful 2014, portion connected his mode to a Rajasthan temple,” the serviceman says.

Police custody, however, failed to extremity Bishnoi’s run. By now, helium had allegedly consolidated his presumption arsenic a pack leader. In 2015, during a tribunal appearance, helium escaped constabulary custody, allegedly to avenge his cousin’s murder. Bishnoi was aboriginal arrested from Punjab’s Fazilka.

“Around this time, with Bishnoi successful jail, his person Goldy Brar started operating the gang,” an serviceman says. Lodged successful jailhouse on with his adjacent subordinate Sampat Nehra, who was arrested by the Haryana STF successful Hyderabad successful 2018 for allegedly readying to termination Salman Khan, Bishnoi joined hands with gangster Kala Jathedi, though the 2 fell retired a fewer months ago. Police accidental that portion they were together, the Bishnoi-Jathedi pack committed implicit 30 murders successful Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana.

Among Bishnoi’s biggest rivals was Davinder Bambiha, who allegedly ran an extortion racket successful Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula, and was killed successful a constabulary brushwood successful 2016. The inter-gang rivalry often led to shootouts successful Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab. The gangs not lone fought implicit extortion money, but for supremacy implicit the Punjab euphony manufacture and kabaddi players.
In 2021, Bishnoi had told the constabulary that helium “wanted to permission the transgression satellite and unrecorded peacefully”. In 2023, helium was asked the aforesaid question. This time, however, helium said, “I person been successful jailhouse for the past 10 years and it’s precise improbable that I volition travel retired now. I privation to go the Number 1 transgression successful the country.”

Goldy Brar

With Lawrence Bishnoi successful jail, Satwinderjit Singh aka Goldy Brar is known to beryllium the lynchpin of the gang, acting arsenic the handler, assigning tasks, and arranging for weapons and different logistics for the pack to transportation retired transgression activities.

Declared a “designated terrorist” by the Home Affairs Ministry successful January this year, Goldy, 30, has been connected the radar of quality and investigative agencies for a while. On August 15, 2017, helium near for Canada connected a survey visa. With a drawstring of cases linked to him, including murder, attempted murder, extortion and cases nether the narcotics Act, UAPA and Arms Act, among others, according to the latest dossier of the Punjab Police, Goldy is suspected to beryllium hiding successful the US astatine present. Though helium was acquitted successful 4 cases earlier helium moved to Canada, the different cases were registered against him aft helium started operating the pack from abroad.

Hailing from Muktsar successful Punjab, Goldy, the lad of a erstwhile Punjab Police Assistant Sub-Inspector, changeable into the spotlight aft helium claimed work for the May 29, 2022, sidesplitting of Punjabi vocalist Sidhu Moosewala successful Mansa district. In June 2022, India got a Red Corner Notice issued against him from the Interpol. In May 2023, his sanction figured successful the database of Canada’s 25 astir wanted fugitives.

Goldy’s relation with Bishnoi dates backmost to their assemblage days successful Chandigarh, wherever they dabbled successful pupil authorities and allegedly resorted to strongarm tactics.

Sampat Nehra

Sampat Nehra alias Balkari, different cardinal subordinate and a sharpshooter successful the Bishnoi gang, is the lad of a retired Chandigarh Police Assistant Sub-Inspector. Lodged successful Bathinda Central Jail since June 2018, Nehra, 34, took implicit the gang’s operations aft Bishnoi’s apprehension successful 2014.

According to the Punjab Police’s authoritative dossier connected him, Nehra, who primitively hails from Kalauri successful Rajasthan’s Churu district, grew up successful Chandigarh’s Sector 26 constabulary colony.

A promising athlete, helium was an undergraduate pupil of a assemblage affiliated to Panjab University erstwhile helium got progressive with the Student Organisation of Punjab University (SOPU). It was during the 2012 students’ national elections that Nehra came successful interaction with Bishnoi, kickstarting his travel into the satellite of crime.

While Bishnoi graduated from instrumentality assemblage successful 2012, Nehra, successful his 2nd twelvemonth of assemblage successful 2013, failed 2 subjects.

According to the police, Nehra, who allegedly provided hideouts to gangsters successful Punjab, Rajasthan and Chandigarh, has implicit 65 transgression cases registered against him successful Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Chandigarh for offences including murder, effort to murder, snatching, carjacking, robbery, dacoity and extortion.

Arrested successful June 2018 from Hyderabad, Nehra told the Haryana Police’s Special Task Force that helium had been tasked with eliminating histrion Salman Khan and had adjacent conducted a recce of his house.

Hashim Baba

A dreaded gangster, Hashim Baba, 42, grew up successful Delhi’s Gokulpuri, aft his household shifted determination from a colony adjacent UP’s Aligarh. Police accidental helium dropped retired of schoolhouse aft Class 8 and joined his father’s concern — selling footwear.

By 2001, Hashim came successful interaction with section gangsters and the archetypal lawsuit against him, nether the Arms Act, was registered successful 2002. Thereafter, the constabulary say, helium became progressive successful petty crimes successful the area. Hashim met Bhisnoi, past a comparatively chartless gangster, successful Tihar jailhouse successful 2019. While Bishnoi has been moved to a Gujarat prison, Hashim is inactive successful Tihar jail.

An serviceman says the duo formed an confederation to undercut the power of rival gangs. As portion of the deal, Bhishnoi’s pack successful Delhi started getting ammunition from Baba. The constabulary accidental the 2 gangs proceed to enactment together.

According to his dossier, Hashim formally joined the Abdul Nasir pack successful 2007. In 2010, allegedly ashamed implicit Hashim’s rising notoriety successful north-east Delhi, his begetter moved backmost to Aligarh.

By 2014, Hashim was a dreaded sanction successful Delhi. With Nasir successful jailhouse and feeling inadequately compensated for moving for conscionable 1 gang, Hashim started supplying arms to different gangs. In 2018 and 2019, 2 cases were registered against Hashim nether MCOCA, the constabulary say. By then, Hashim had created his ain gang. Since his apprehension successful 2019 — and contempt 16 cases against him — Baba continues to wield power from Tihar.

Vikramjeet Singh

Until his deportation from the UAE and his apprehension by the NIA successful July 2023, Vikramjeet Singh Brar alias Vicky was Bishnoi’s antheral successful the Middle East. According to the NIA, portion successful the UAE, Vikramjeet handled the gang’s financials and provided logistics to pack members to transportation retired transgression activities.

Currently lodged successful a jailhouse successful Rajasthan , helium hails from Dingawala colony successful the state’s Hanumangarh district. Police accidental Vikramjeet came successful interaction with Bishnoi astatine Panjab University, wherever some were portion of university’s pupil politics.

According to Punjab police, Vikramjeet near for Dubai connected November 4, 2020, connected a tourer visa. Wanted successful astatine slightest 11 cases of murder, effort to execution and extortion, among others, helium besides had 11 lookout notices against him based connected requests from the constabulary successful Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.

The 2022 execution of Punjabi vocalist Sidhu Moosewala saw Vikramjeet getting caught successful the crosshairs of investigative agencies. With an Interpol Red Corner Notice against him, helium was eventual deported from the UAE. According to the NIA, Vikramjeet had “actively helped” Goldy Brar execute Moosewala’s murder.

Vikramjeet’s sanction besides figures successful a Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) panic module busted by the Faridkot Police successful 2021. According to the Punjab Police, the module members had attempted to termination a Dera Sacha Sauda follower and the cardinal accused successful the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case.

(With inputs from Kamaldeep Singh Brar, Fazilka, Navjeevan Gopal)