NIA conducts raids at locations linked to Lawrence Bishnoi, aides

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday was conducting raids in several states at premises linked to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his aides.

Bishnoi is currently under arrest by the NIA in connection with terror-gangster nexus case. During his questioning, the NIA had learnt about a few conspiracies after which they decided to conduct search operations.

"Investigations have revealed that Lawrence along with his brothers, Sachin and Anmol Bishnoi and associates, including Goldy Brar, Kala Jathedi, Kala Rana, Bikram Brar and Sampat Nehra were also raising funds to carry out all such terror/criminal activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons and widespread extortion," said an NIA official.

The investigations have revealed that a syndicate of terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers led by Bishnoi was involved in many targeted killings and extortion from businessmen, professionals, including doctors and this had created a widespread scare and terror among the public at large.

All such criminal acts were not isolated local incidents but part of a deep-rooted conspiracy amongst the terrorists, gangsters, drug smuggling cartels and networks, operating from both within and outside the country.

It was found that most of the conspiracies were hatched from inside the jail by Lawrence Bishnoi and were executed by an organised network of operatives based in India and abroad.

"Pertinently, Bishnoi is involved and wanted in many cases, including the conspiracy to carry out targeted and sensational killings in Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi for more than a decade," the NIA said.

The NIA has learnt that a number of Punjabi pop singers were on the radar of gangsters who wanted to execute their killing like Siddhu Moosewala.

The NIA has also claimed that the gangsters were getting arms and ammunition from Pakistan.

Earlier in the first week of November, the NIA had questioned two Punjabi singers, Dalpreet Dhillo and Mankirat Aulak, for hours at its Delhi-based headquarters. Aulak, who is living abroad, was in India for the first time.

Both the singers were asked questions related to Bambiha Gang and Lawrence Bishnoi. They were also asked about a few of their projects.

In October the NIA grilled Punjabi pop singer Afsana Khan, an associate of late Moosewala.

Lawrence Bishnoi gang allegedly killed Moosewala to avenge the death of Vicky Middukhera. But before committing the murder, a number of persons of Punjabi Pop Industry were threatened, a few were also attacked.

The sources said that they were also trying to explore the tiff between gangsters and the Punjabi pop industry.

The Delhi Police Special Cell and the Punjab Police have arrested over a dozen gangsters in connection with the murder case of Moosewala. During the probe the agencies came to know about the sinister gangsters-terrorists nexus. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs took the matter seriously and asked the NIA to do a thorough probe.

The sources have claimed that in the coming days a few more persons from the Punjabi pop industry could be summoned to join the investigation by the NIA.