Lawrence Bishnoi forayed into world of crime as student of Panjab University in 2010

CHANDIGARH: Incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, a product of a gangster-terror network nexus, had forayed into the world of crime when he was a student at the Panjab University in 2010.

Bishnoi, now aged 32, had opened fire at a rival contestant during the student body polls at the university for which he spent three months in jail. He is a product of a gangster-terror network nexus and has been named by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in several high-profile cases.

Notably, Canada on Monday said it has listed the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity for creating a "climate of fear and intimidation".

An official statement said, "Acts of violence and terror have no place in Canada, especially those that target specific communities to create a climate of fear and intimidation."

According to police records, Bishnoi, son of a farmer, is a native of Punjab's Fazilka district and graduated in law from Chandigarh. He allegedly owns around 100-acre of land in Punjab, the records show.

He has a tattoo of Lord Hanuman imprinted on his right arm and is known for his driving and shooting skills.

In a bid to dismantle the gangster-terror network associated with the Babbar Khalsa International, the NIA named Bishnoi in a chargesheet more than two years ago in a terror case, detailing his criminal activities, and smuggling of weapons, explosives and drugs from Pakistan.

The anti-terror agency had claimed that Bishnoi was instrumental in coordinating communication channels, enabling seamless interactions among gang members, even those incarcerated in jails.

The agency further claimed that he was running an extortion syndicate with Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, who has close links with pro-Khalistan terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

Bishnoi, who has been in custody for more than a decade, has been operating his terror-crime Syndicate from jails wherever he has been lodged over the years.

Lawrence Bishnoi alias Balkaran Barar was just five years old when the infamous blackbuck poaching case involving Bollywood star Salman Khan took place in 1998 during the filming of "Hum Saath-Saath Hain" in Rajasthan, irking the Bishnoi community which revers the animal.

According to the police, the animosity between the gangster and Salman first became public in 2018 when Bishnoi, during a court appearance in Jodhpur, said, "We will kill Salman Khan. Everyone will know once we take action. I have not done anything as of now, they are accusing me of crimes for no reason."

Since then, the actor has received multiple threats to his life.

Despite being lodged in prison, Bishnoi has allegedly managed to execute murders of many high-profile people, including Punjabi singer Siddhu Moosewala in 2022, Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in 2023, besides orchestrating firing outside the residences of singers A P Dhillon and Gippy Garewal in Canada.

The terror-crime-extortion syndicate was also responsible for the Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) attack on Punjab State Intelligence headquarters in Mohali in May 2023, allegedly on the directions of Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, a member of the BKI.

According to police records, Bishnoi became one of the most dreaded gangsters, running the gang with "impunity". He is currently lodged in a Gujarat prison.

Until a few months back, his gang was spread across the country, including sharpshooters, with the help of other notorious gangsters such as Sachin Thapan, Anmol Bishnoi, Vikramjit Singh, and Kala Rana.

Convicted in four criminal cases in Punjab, including on charges of extortion, murder, attempt to murder, and offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Bishnoi mostly operated in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi before setting his sight on Maharashtra.

The NIA had earlier filed a chargesheet against Bishnoi in a case involving the seizure of around 39 kg heroin by the Gujarat Police in September 2022.