Chandigarh:

Two members of the notorious Bishnoi gang were arrested after a dramatic chase and a shootout in Punjab’s Jalandhar this morning. Three pistols and several cartridges have been seized from them, the police said in a statement.

Jalandhar Commissionerate Police (@CPJalandhar) apprehends two associates of the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang in #Jalandhar after a hot chase and shootout.

The police opened fire in retaliation after the suspects fired at them during the chase. The arrested individuals have multiple… pic.twitter.com/f8MjdUkWMg

— Punjab Police India (@PunjabPoliceInd) November 27, 2024

During the chase, the suspects fired at the cops, after which the police opened fire in retaliation. The arrested suspects have multiple cases registered against them, including extortion, murder, Arms Act and drugs law, said the police.

The police are continuing their investigations to uncover more about the gang’s activities and connections, officials said.

The Bishnoi gang, which has about 700 shooters across the country, is under police scanner for several high-profile murders, including those of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moosewala and political Baba Siddique. It is led by the gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently lodged in the Sabarmati jail in Gujarat.

New Delhi:

Lawrence Bishnoi, the alleged mastermind behind the killings of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique and Punjabi singer-politician Sidhu Moose Wala, was arrested for the first time about 13 years ago when he set fire to some vehicles in Chandigarh after a fight with a student leader.

Bishnoi, who was involved in student politics at Panjab University back then, was in police custody for a day, former Chandigarh inspector Amanjot Singh told NDTV on Tuesday.

A son of a police constable in Punjab, he was only 18 when he set vehicles parked outside Sector 11 in Chandigarh on fire, the officer said.

“He was very innocent at that time. When the police used to arrest him, he sometimes called the officials uncle or sir,” Mr Singh said.

“He did whatever his party leadership told him,” Mr Singh said, adding that he “never thought” that Bishnoi would become “such a big gangster”.

ALSO READ | Lawrence Bishnoi Has 700 Shooters On Call. How He Operates From Jail

Mr Singh, who arrested the 31-year-old dreaded gangster numerous times, said that when Bishnoi was arrested for the sixth time, he had said that the “police of 7-8 states will search” for him.

Lawrence Bishnoi first grabbed headlines when he publicly threatened to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan in 2018, accusing him of allegedly poaching two blackbuck antelopes – a revered animal for Rajasthan’s Bishnoi community to which he belongs.

During a court appearance in Jodhpur, Bishnoi said, “We will kill Salman Khan. Everyone will know once we take action.”

Incidentally, Baba Siddique, who was shot dead by three persons in Mumbai last month, was known to be Salman Khan’s close friend.

Bishnoi is also the prime accused in the murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, who was shot dead in Punjab in 2022.

“Lawrence Bishnoi Transformed In Jail”

Mr Singh said that Lawrence Bishnoi initially worked on his party leadership’s instructions but later “transformed” in the jail.

“Initially, he kept working on his party leadership’s instructions. But when he kept going to jail, his transformation happened very fast. He came in contact with big gangsters and his influence kept increasing,” he said.

ALSO READ | “We Stand With Lawrence Bishnoi”: Jailed Gangster’s Family Breaks Silence

“When he kept going to jail again and again, there were some prisoners in the jail, who had committed big crimes, who felt that there was something special about Bishnoi. They then started using him,” Mr Singh said.

They took him under their protection because they knew that Bishnoi was going to get bail, he added.

Lawrence Bishnoi Met His “Mentor” Rocky Fazilka In Jail

Lawrence Bishnoi considered gangster Ranjit Jasvinder Singh, alias Rocky Fazilka, as his mentor, Amanjot Singh said.

“When Lawrence Bishnoi went to Banda jail in Uttar Pradesh, he met another gangster Ranjit Singh “Dupla”, who was very close to Rocky Fazilka. He was the one who introduced him to Fazilka,” Mr Singh said.

ALSO READ | “Wanted Canada To Extradite Bishnoi Gang Members”: India On Diplomatic Row

Rocky Fazilka, a resident of Punjab’s Ferozepur, was impressed by Bishnoi and took him under his custody.

As their villages were nearby, they became close aides, Mr Singh said.

Bishnoi has been in prison since 2015 and is currently lodged in Gujarat.

Mumbai:

Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been issued a death threat, allegedly by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, demanding Rs 5 crore to “end the enmity”. A WhatsApp message, sent to Mumbai Traffic Police, warned that if the money is not paid, then the actor’s fate would be worse than that of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, who was murdered recently, allegedly by Bishnoi gang members.

“Don’t take this lightly. If Salman Khan wants to stay alive and end the enmity with Lawrence Bishnoi, he must pay Rs 5 crore. If the money is not given, his condition will be worse than Baba Siddiqui’s,” the threat message read. 

According to sources, the Mumbai Police is working to track the origins of the message and have increased security around Mr Khan’s Bandra residence. The actor has been on high alert following previous threats, and this recent development has added renewed concerns about his safety.

READ | Lawrence Bishnoi Has 700 Shooters On Call. How He Operates From Jail

Yesterday, the Navi Mumbai Police arrested a key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The accused, identified as Sukha alias Sukhbir Balbir Singh, was apprehended in Haryana’s Panipat and has been linked to an alleged plot to assassinate Mr Khan. Singh had reportedly given a contract to other gang members to carry out the attack on the actor.

According to police sources, Singh had been in direct contact with his handler, Dogar, a Pakistani-based figure, to coordinate the planned attack. The gang had allegedly intended to use high-powered firearms, including AK-47s, M16s, and AK-92s, smuggled from Pakistan to execute the plot. 

Singh’s arrest is the latest in a series of breakthroughs in a broader investigation into the Bishnoi gang’s conspiracy against Mr Khan. Earlier this year, the Navi Mumbai police registered an FIR against 18 individuals from the gang for plotting to kill the actor. The FIR followed a shocking incident in which members of the gang fired outside Mr Khan’s Bandra residence.

READ | “Wanted Canada To Extradite Bishnoi Gang Members”: India On Diplomatic Row

Among the accused named in the case are high-profile members of the Bishnoi gang, including Lawrence Bishnoi himself, his brother Anmol, Sampat Nehra, Goldie Brar, and Rohit Godhara. These individuals have long been linked to organised criminal activity across North India and have become notorious for their brazen threats and acts of violence.

The ongoing police investigation has uncovered disturbing details about the gang’s planning. Police sources revealed that the Bishnoi gang had deployed between 60 to 70 operatives to monitor Mr Khan’s movements. These individuals conducted reconnaissance at various locations, including Mr Khan’s Bandra residence, his Panvel farmhouse, and the actor’s shooting locations. The gang even attempted to recruit minors to act as sharpshooters.

This is not the first time Mr Khan has been the target of death threats linked to the Bishnoi gang. In 2022, a letter threatening the actor was discovered on a bench near his residence, and in March 2023, the actor received an email allegedly sent by members of the gang. In January 2024, two unidentified individuals attempted to trespass into Mr Khan’s Panvel farmhouse using fake identities, an incident that prompted the actor to increase security around his property.

Mr Khan’s feud with Lawrence Bishnoi dates back several years. The gangster, currently imprisoned, has reportedly harboured a grudge against the actor over his alleged involvement in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The Bishnoi community reveres the blackbuck, and the incident is the primary reason why the gang seeks revenge. 

New Delhi:

Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police claimed Monday that “agents of the Government of India” use criminals – referring specifically to the Bishnoi gang – to “target (the) South Asian community… specifically pro-Khalistani elements” in that country.

The charge – by RCMP Commissioner Mike Duhene and his deputy, Brigitte Gauvin – follows a sharp escalation in a row festering since Ottawa last year accused “agents” of Delhi of involvement in the killing of Canadian citizen and Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Nijjar.

“It (the Indian government) is targeting the South Asian community… but they are specifically targeting pro-Khalistani elements in Canada. What we have seen, from an RCMP perspective, is that they use organised crime elements,” Ms Gauvin told reporters.

“It has been publicly attributed and claimed by one crime group in particular – the Bishnoi gang. We believe the group is connected to agents of the Government of India.”

#WATCH | Ottawa, Ontario (Canada): “It (India) is targeting South Asian community but they are specifically targeting pro-Khalistani elements in Canada…What we have seen is, from an RCMP perspective, they use organised crime elements. It has been publically attributed and… pic.twitter.com/KYKQVSx7Ju

— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2024

When asked specifically if “agents of Indian government” were being accused of “homicide, extortion, intimidation, and coercion”, Mr Duheme replied “yes”.

India has strongly rejected what it calls “preposterous imputations”, including those by Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accusing New Delhi of “supporting criminal activity against Canadians” and “coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians”.

The External Affairs Ministry also rejected claims by Ottawa that Sanjay Kumar Verma, posted as the Indian High Commissioner, and five of his staff, are ‘persons of interest’. All six have been expelled by the Canadian side after it claimed Delhi’s continuing non-cooperation in its investigation.

Canadian cops further claimed some Indian diplomatic staff work with organised crime elements in Canada to “collect – through questionable and illegal means – information on Canadian citizens… (that is fed to criminal organisations) that would then take violent actions from extortion to murder”.

Hours after the RCMP officers’ press conference Mr Trudeau spoke to reporters and doubled down on charges against the Indian government.

READ | Trudeau Doubles Down On Charges After India-Canada Diplomatic Row

“I think it is obvious the Government of India made a fundamental error in thinking they could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadians, here on Canadian soil. Whether it be murders or extortion or other violent acts, it is absolutely unacceptable,” he said.

The allegations coincide with sliding support and tanking popularity ratings; last week he survived a second parliamentary confidence vote in as many weeks ahead of the 2025 election.

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canada counterpart Justin Trudeau (File). 

India and Canada have exchanged a second round of tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats, although Delhi later said it was withdrawing its officials over security concerns. Delhi ejected Canada’s acting High Commissioner, Stewart Wheeler, and his deputy.

READ | India, Canada Expel Diplomats In Tit-For-Tat Move Amid Deepening Rift

On the expulsion of its diplomats, Delhi said, “Sanjay Verma is India’s senior-most serving diplomat”, and slammed a “strategy of smearing India for political gains”.

The Bishnoi gang – led by Lawrence Bishnoi from his prison cell in Gujarat’s Sabarmati Jail – has rapidly become of the country’s most feared criminal organisations.

It even has a base in Canada, where gangster Goldy Brar is based.

READ | How Shooters Used Procession, Firecrackers As Cover To Kill Baba Siddique

With its vast network the Bishnoi gang has, so far, murdered with impunity; the most recent killing was ex-Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique.

Within India the gang is known to be involved in murder and arms trafficking, and extortion of money from high-profile targets like Punjabi singers, the liquor mafia, other prominent businessmen. Its activities are enforced by an army of around 700 hitmen, reports have said.

READ | Lawrence Bishnoi Has 700 Shooters. How He Operates From Jail

The Canadian government has now claimed links between Indian government “agents” and the Bishnoi gang with relation to the killing of Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a gurdwara in June.

With input from agencies

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