By Sanjeev Kumar Patro
Bhubaneswar: When the country’s apex counter terrorism law enforcement agency – the National Investigation Agency – in its chargesheet has bared the dark world of dreaded gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, in an interview last year, the kingpin of terror-crime syndicate claimed that on release from jail, he will build a gaushala – a cow shed. He claimed my younger brother is already in gau seva, I will join with him.
This is the interview that had drawn the ire of Punjab and Haryana High Court on the police of Rajasthan and Punjab. Last year two of his interviews were conducted by ABP news channel via phone, when he was in prison cell.
In the interview, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi denied of having any aspiration to become a political leader, though he started his career from student politics. He justified the killings undertaken by his gang calling it an action against injustice.
BISHNOI’S POLITICAL MENTOR
Lawrence Bishnoi in the year 2014 was active in Rajasthan, along with Jaswinder Singh, alias Rocky, a gangster-turned-politician of Rajasthan. He remained active in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Rocky’s role model had been UP based gangster-politician late Mukhtar Ansari.
Rocky was in Fazlika in 2011, the home town of Lawrence Bishnoi. Bishnoi’s year of initiation to crime was also year 2010. Bishnoi's crime associate has been Goldy Brar since then.
Rocky was seen in one frame with former Punjab CM Sukhbir Badal during a wedding ceremony. In 2013, Rocky was seen in a frame meeting the then Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde along with a Punjab Congress delegation led by senior congress leaders.
HOW BISHNOI JAILED?
As per police records, Lawrence Bishnoi made his debut to the world of crime in 2010. By 2012, seven FIRs were registered against him in Chandigarh for crimes like attempt to murder, trespassing, assault and robbery. He stands acquitted in four, and trial is on in 3 others. Lawrence Bishnoi was again arrested under section 307 (attempt to murder) in 2014. He was arrested for his involvement in an armed encounter with the Rajasthan Police.
BISHNOI TURNED JAILS CRIME DEN
Between 2012 and 2014, Bisnoi was in and out of jail many times. In its chargesheet, NIA also finds him a good communicator and adept in recruiting shooters and members to his gang. in year 2013 when he was out of jail, met with arms dealers and local criminals to form a crime network. From the prison cell, he since 2014, has been allegedly plotting murders and ensuring their flawless execution.
NIA investigations have found how Bishnoi build friendship with local criminals in the jail and expanded his network to states like MP, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
HOW BISHNOI FUND HIS OPERATIONS
Giving an interview to ABP news, Lawrence revealed the source of funding to his gang. He informed the interviewer that fund for his gang was collected from extortion. And the targeted businessmen are involved in jewellery and liquor business. His extortion racket extends up to Gujarat and Mumbai, though he is basically a north Indian gangster.
As per latest police reports, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has established a solid network in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
NIA REVELATION ON BISHNOI GANG FUND SOURCE
Even as extortion has been the prime funding source for the Bishnoi gang, NIA chargesheet reveals that the gang sources funds from drug -trafficking and fire arms smuggling. NIA chargesheet disclosed links between Lawrence Bishnoi and banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa Canada-based operative Lakhbir Singh alias Landa.
The third chargesheet filed in November last year had the following disclosures.
- Parveen Wadhwa alias Prince is one of the associates of the Lawrence Bishnoi terror Syndicate.
- Prince was a linchpin in the dissemination of vital information among the members of the terror gang.
- Investigations indicate that he was instrumental in coordinating communication channels, enabling seamless interactions among gang members, even those incarcerated in different Jails.
- Yudhvir Singh alias Sadhu has figured as the Chief Arms Procurer of the Lawrence Bishnoi terror Syndicate.
- Sadhu's role and expertise extends to facilitating the procurement of arms and ammunition from foreign countries.
