Lawrence Bishnoi, born on 12th February 1993 in Ferozpur, Punjab, is a notorious Indian gangster known for his involvement in criminal activities. Despite denying the numerous criminal charges against him, Bishnoi has been linked to more than two dozen cases, including murder and extortion.
Raised in a village in Punjab, Bishnoi’s father served as a police constable in the Haryana Police. However, he left the force in 1997 to pursue farming. Bishnoi completed his schooling in Abohar until the 12th grade before relocating to Chandigarh to attend DAV College. It was during his time at Panjab University Campus Students Council in 2011 that he met Goldy Brar (real name Satinder Singh), another aspiring gangster, and they both became embroiled in university politics while engaging in criminal activities.
Bishnoi’s criminal journey began in Chandigarh, where he faced multiple first information reports (FIRs) for crimes such as attempted murder, trespassing, assault, and robbery between 2010 and 2012. Most of these cases were directly linked to his involvement in student politics. While he was acquitted in four out of the seven FIRs registered against him, three cases remain pending. During his time behind bars, Bishnoi forged alliances with fellow criminals and, upon his release, collaborated with arms dealers and local criminals, expanding the size of his gang during his tenure at Panjab University.
After graduating in 2013, Bishnoi allegedly orchestrated the assassination of the winning candidate in the Government College elections in Muktsar and a rival candidate in the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation elections. Faced with the need to frequently go into hiding, he ventured into liquor dealing and provided shelter to murderers within his gang. In 2014, Bishnoi engaged in an armed encounter with the Rajasthan Police, which led to his imprisonment. While incarcerated, he continued plotting murders and executing witnesses.
During his criminal career, Bishnoi developed a close association with Jaswinder Singh, alias Rocky, a gangster-turned-politician. Under Rocky’s guidance, Bishnoi remained active in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. However, Rocky was assassinated in 2016 by Jaipal Bhullar, who himself met a similar fate in 2020.
In 2018, one of Bishnoi’s close associates, Sampath Nehra, allegedly involved in the recce of Salman Khan’s residence, revealed that Bishnoi had tasked him with assassinating the renowned Bollywood actor due to his involvement in the Black Buck hunting case. The Bishnoi community considers the Black Buck species sacred, making this a significant point of contention. While being transported to appear in a Jodhpur court for an extortion case, Bishnoi openly declared his intention to kill Salman Khan, claiming that he had been falsely implicated in fabricated charges.
Even while incarcerated, Bishnoi continued to operate his criminal syndicate, allegedly receiving assistance from jail staff. In 2021, he was transferred to Tihar Jail in Delhi to face charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA). Authorities have discovered that Bishnoi utilizes Voice over IP calls to communicate with his associates outside the prison walls.
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On 29th May 2022, Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala was shot dead in Mansa, Punjab. Shortly after the assassination, Goldy Brar claimed responsibility for engineering the plot alongside Bishnoi. The police have implicated Bishnoi’s gang in the shooting, although he was in Tihar Jail at the time. The Delhi Police Special Cell obtained five days of custody to investigate Bishnoi’s involvement.
Following the assassination, Bishnoi filed a plea in the Delhi High Court, expressing fears of his own safety and the possibility of a staged encounter by the Punjab police. He requested that the Delhi Police and Tihar Jail authorities ensure his protection and proper restraints. Later, he withdrew his plea from the Delhi HC and instead filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The Bishnoi gang reportedly operates with around 700 shooters spread across five states in India and even extends its reach beyond national borders.
Despite the controversies and criminal charges surrounding him, Lawrence Bishnoi remains a prominent figure in Indian organized crime, continuously making headlines for his alleged involvement in high-profile criminal activities.
Information Compiled from Wikipedia
