How Labourers From Bihar To Punjab Became Sharpshooters For Gangsters

Days after the arrest of two shooters who allegedly opened fire outside actor Salman Khan's home, the Delhi Police's Special Cell and the Crime Branch, who are tracking gang activities, revealed the new modus operandi of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's syndicate.

As per sources, traditionally known for preying on vulnerable minors with promises of glamour and fame, the gang, believed to be operating from abroad, has adopted a cunning strategy to expand its activities.

Instead of solely targeting aspiring talents, the Bishnoi gang has now begun luring unsuspecting labourers with the promise of lucrative payouts.

"These individuals, enticed by the prospect of hefty sums, unwittingly become pawns in the syndicate's sinister schemes - in return, having to execute orders by gang members sitting in the US, Dubai, or Canada," the sources said.

This was revealed after the arrest of two shooters - Vicky Gupta, 24, and Sagar Pal, 23 - who were involved in firing outside Salman Khan's residence on April 14 and were arrested from Bhuj in Gujarat in a joint operation by the Mumbai Police and its Gujarat counterpart.

Gupta and Pal are from Bihar's West Champaran district's Mahsi village and had gone to Punjab to work as labourers.

"The two were provided with Rs 1 lakh and a country-made pistol by a syndicate member in Haryana for the crime. Pal, fascinated with gangster life, came in contact with the crime syndicate through his brother who lives in Haryana," the sources said.

After the crime, Gupta and Pal were in constant touch with their contact in Haryana, who has also been detained by the Mumbai Police, they said.

According to a senior police official in the Special Cell, the Delhi Police, last year, arrested several gang recruits between 15 and 20 years of age. They were recruited from rural areas of Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, or Delhi. These immature teens and men were enticed by the gang members and contacted through internet-based services, he said.

"They were instructed to reach a specific location and were provided with weapons and logistical support by masked men the same way shooters involved in firing outside the actor's home were told," said the official.

The entire operation functioned smoothly, with no communication between different members of the syndicate.

"The handler, operating from abroad through international members, coordinated with various gang members, including recruiters, logistics providers, and shooters. The syndicate frequently changed phones, SIM cards, and locations to evade law enforcement," said the official.

In December, two sharpshooters of Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gang, who had fired seven to eight rounds in front of the residence of a former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Punjab MLA in Delhi's Punjabi Bagh area to extort money, were arrested.

As per the National Investigation Agency's charge sheet in court, the Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate's main activities involve kidnapping, murder, extortion for ransom, cross-border smuggling of sophisticated weapons and narcotics, in-land smuggling of contraband and illegal liquor smuggling.

The gangster did not directly talk to any shooter but routed them through his close aides, including Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar and Anmol Bishnoi - both believed to be operating either from the US or Canada.

The anti-terror agency said its investigations revealed that work was distributed after careful planning, and gang members were assigned different tasks. Matters of funding were mostly decided by Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Darmanjot Kahlon.

"Bishnoi was running the entire operations from behind the jail. He was so adept in operating from inside the jail that he didn't apply for bail in any case. It is also revealed that a considerable part of the money generated through extortion activities was sent to Canada, US, Dubai, Thailand, and Australia for the use of their associates/family members abroad and also to fund activities of pro-Khalistan extremists," the charge sheet read.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)