Lawrence Bishnoi has been incarcerated since 2015, now located far from his home state of Punjab in Gujarat [Getty Images]
Canadian authorities made a shocking accusation on Monday.
They claimed at a press briefing that agents of the Indian government were utilizing criminal organizations like the Bishnoi group to target leaders of the pro-Khalistan movement, which advocates for a separate Sikh homeland in India.
This revelation came shortly after both countries expelled senior diplomats as tensions escalated following the assassination of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil last year. New Delhi rejected the accusations as “absurd”, alleging that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was pandering to Canada’s significant Sikh community for political gain.
The Canadian police were referring to Lawrence Bishnoi, a 31-year-old criminal from India who is now back in the spotlight both domestically and internationally.
Indian authorities claim that his gang is connected to the murder of a prominent politician in Mumbai over the weekend – assassins gunned down 66-year-old Baba Siddique near his son’s office. Three suspects are currently in custody. An alleged associate of Bishnoi has taken to social media to claim that the gang was responsible for the killing.
Once one of India’s most wanted criminals, Bishnoi has been imprisoned since 2015, now detained far from his native Punjab in Gujarat.
However, law enforcement officials believe that his bold influence persists. Bishnoi is the primary suspect in the high-profile murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, the popular Punjabi singer who was shot near his village in October 2022.
In 2018, Bishnoi gained notoriety for threatening Bollywood star Salman Khan, accusing him of hunting two blackbuck antelopes – a species revered by Rajasthan’s Bishnoi community, to which Lawrence belongs.
During a court appearance in Jodhpur city, he openly stated to the awaiting media: “Salman Khan will be killed here, in Jodhpur… Then he will come to know about our real identity.” Interestingly, Siddique, the murdered politician, was a close friend of the Bollywood actor.
Bishnoi is the prime suspect in the murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, the popular Punjabi singer, in October 2022 [Getty Images]
In March of last year, a television channel broadcasted two interviews with Bishnoi from inside a Punjab prison, prompting an outraged high court to order an investigation. How a high-security inmate managed to conduct phone interviews from prison remains a mystery.
Federal investigators estimate that Bishnoi still oversees a gang with 700 members across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi, engaging in activities such as extorting celebrities, smuggling drugs and weapons, and carrying out targeted assassinations. According to the police, his accomplice Goldy Brar, also implicated in the Moose Wala murder, controls the gang remotely from Canada. Bishnoi is facing over 30 cases, with 19 currently under trial.
“He manages his gang seamlessly from prison without requiring direct coordination,” says Gurmeet Chauhan, a senior officer in Punjab’s anti-gangster task force. “Unlike other criminals confined to a specific region, he thinks on a larger scale.”
Bishnoi was born into wealth. His family is one of the wealthiest in their Punjab village, residing in a spacious bungalow surrounded by more than 100 acres of land. His father, a former police officer, eventually left his job to tend to the family’s land, while his mother is a homemaker. The couple raised two sons, Lawrence and Anmol – both now prime suspects in Moose Wala’s murder.
Ramesh Bishnoi, a relative, informed Jupinderjit Singh, a journalist and author of Who Killed Moose Wala, that Lawrence was named after British officer Henry Montgomery Lawrence, the founder of the prestigious Lawrence School in the hill town of Sanawar.
Lawrence Bishnoi attended a convent school, riding his own bike by the eighth grade and wearing expensive shoes – luxuries uncommon for most. Known for quietly assisting local children in need, he was an introverted figure with undeniable influence, according to Mr. Singh.
Indian authorities link Bishnoi’s gang to the killing of Baba Siddique (center); Salman Khan (left) has also been threatened [Getty Images]
After completing school in 2008, he enrolled in a college in Chandigarh, swiftly immersing himself in student politics in the city. “He had money, style, and courage,” a Chandigarh police officer told Mr. Singh, explaining how effortlessly Bishnoi attracted followers. He joined a student group, ran for student elections, and lost – a defeat that affected him deeply.
Police records indicate that this moment marked a shift towards a world of violence as he associated with former student leaders turned criminals. Soon, police claim, Bishnoi’s name became linked to brawls, arson, and gunfire incidents on campus.
Punjab, Bishnoi’s home state, is rife with criminal organizations that engage in drug and weapon trafficking, extortion, and have infiltrated the local film and music industry. A money-driven economy, fueled by drugs, real estate, and illicit liquor sales, has fueled this growth, creating a landscape that intertwines crime with Punjabi pop culture, many suggest.
Punjab’s criminals do not enter the underworld solely for riches – they seek notoriety, a deep-seated desire to “be somebody,” according to Mr. Singh.
This perverted quest for fame is rooted in feudal, patriarchal culture. Social media amplifies it, with many criminals showcasing their lives online. They flaunt their lifestyles on social media, where crime is often viewed as a means to quick wealth and glamour. This has attracted retired athletes and young recruits across Punjab to the darker side.
By September, police had reported dismantling over 500 gangs and arresting more than 1,400 criminals since mid-2021. In clashes with law enforcement, 16 criminals had been killed and over 80 injured, while three officers lost their lives and 26 others were wounded. According to police, Bishnoi has been convicted in four cases, though none yet for serious offenses like murder.
Canada alleges that India utilized “criminal organizations like the Bishnoi gang” to target pro-Khalistan leaders [Getty Images]
With his neatly groomed beard and the hoodie pulled over his observant eyes, Bishnoi often sports the casual appearance of a young man. When the situation demands it, he demonstrates a cleverness in managing his image. During one court appearance, he wore a T-shirt bearing the image of Bhagat Singh, the revered Indian revolutionary.
In a widely circulated video, reportedly filmed in prison, the bearded criminal declares, “There is a desire for revolution in our hearts. Let’s see how much strength the enemy has.” The exact meaning of his words remains ambiguous.
Bishnoi’s ascent is unlike any other. “Despite being behind bars, he seems to be running his gang. “¿Quién le proporciona logística o acceso a los medios? Tal control sería imposible sin aliados poderosos”, dice el Sr. Singh. Separar al hombre del mito sigue siendo escurridizo.
Con reportaje adicional de Arvind Chhabra en Chandigarh
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