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Bishnoi has been in prison since 2015, now far from his home state of Punjab in Gujarat.
On Monday, Canadian police made a sensational statement.
They claimed at a news conference that Indian government agents were using “organized crime groups like the Bishnoi group” to target leaders of the pro-Khalistan movement, which demands a separate Sikh homeland in India.
It came hours after the two countries expelled senior diplomats as tensions escalated following the assassination last year of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil. Delhi has dismissed the allegations as “absurd,” accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of preying on Canada's large Sikh community for political purposes.
Canadian police were referring to Lawrence Bishnoi, a 31-year-old Indian gangster, now back in the spotlight at home and abroad.
Indian police say his gang is linked to the assassination of a prominent politician in Mumbai this weekend: gunmen shot dead Baba Siddique, 66, near his son's office. Three suspects are in custody. An alleged associate of Bishnoi posted on social media that the gang was behind the murder.
Once among India's most wanted people, Bishnoi has been in prison since 2015, now far from his home state of Punjab in Gujarat.
Yet police believe his bold influence endures. Bishnoi is the main accused in the sensational murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, the famous Punjabi singer gunned down near his village in October 2022.
In 2018, Bishnoi gained notoriety for threatening Bollywood star Salman Khan, accusing him of allegedly poaching two blackbuck antelopes – a species revered by the Bishnoi community in Rajasthan to which Lawrence belongs.
When he was produced before a court in Jodhpur city, he openly told the waiting media: “Salman Khan will be killed here in Jodhpur…Then he will know our real identity.” » Besides, Siddique, the murdered politician, was a close friend of the Bollywood star.
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Bishnoi is the main accused in the murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, the popular Punjabi singer, in October 2022.
In March last year, a news channel aired two interviews with Bishnoi from inside a Punjab jail, prompting an outraged high court to order an investigation. How a high-security inmate handled phone interviews from prison remains a mystery.
Federal investigators believe Bishnoi continues to control a 700-member gang across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, involved in celebrity extortion, drug and arms trafficking and carrying out assassinations targeted. His partner Goldy Brar, also a co-accused in the murder of Moose Wala, runs the gang by remote control from Canada, police say. Bishnoi faces more than 30 cases, 19 of which are currently being tried in court.
“He runs his gang seamlessly from prison, without the need to coordinate everything,” says Gurmeet Chauhan, a senior officer in the Punjab anti-gangster task force. “Unlike other gangsters confined to one region, he thinks big.”
Bishnoi was born into wealth. His family is among the richest in their village in Punjab, living in a spacious bungalow surrounded by more than 100 acres of land. His father, a former police officer, finally gave up his job to take care of the family land, while his mother is a housewife. The couple raised two sons, Lawrence and Anmol, both now prime suspects in Moose Wala's murder.
Ramesh Bishnoi, a relative, told Jupinderjit Singh, journalist and author of Who Killed Moose Wala, that Lawrence was named after British officer Henry Montgomery Lawrence, founder of the prestigious Lawrence School in the hill town of Sanawar.
Lawrence Bishnoi himself attended a convent school, riding his own bicycle from the eighth grade and wearing expensive shoes – an unheard of luxury for most. Known for quietly helping local children in need, he was an introverted figure with undeniable influence, Mr Singh says.
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Indian police link Bishnoi gang to Baba Siddique's murder (center); Salman Khan (left) was also threatened
After completing his studies in 2008, he moved to a college in Chandigarh, quickly immersing himself in the city's student politics. “He had money, style and courage,” a Chandigarh police officer told Mr. Singh, explaining how easily Bishnoi attracted followers. He joined a student organization, ran for student office, and lost – a defeat he took personally.
Police records indicate that this turning point brought him closer to a world of violence as he mixed with former student leaders turned criminals. Soon, police say, Bishnoi's name was linked to fights, arson and shootings on campus.
Punjab, the Bishnoi's home state, is overrun by gangs that fuel drug and arms trafficking, extortion and the local film and music industry. A cash-based economy, supported by drugs, real estate and illegal alcohol sales, has fueled the rise, creating an ecosystem that mixes crime and Punjabi pop culture, many say.
Punjab's gangsters don't enter the underworld just for wealth: they crave notoriety, a deep-seated desire to “be somebody”, according to Mr Singh.
This twisted quest for glory has its roots in feudal and patriarchal culture. Social media amplifies it, with many gangsters presenting their lives online. They flaunt their lifestyle on social media, where crime is often seen as a way to get quick money and glamour. This lured retired sportspersons and young recruits from Punjab to the dark side.
In September, police said they had dismantled more than 500 gangs and arrested more than 1,400 gangsters since mid-2021. In clashes with police, 16 gangsters were killed and more than 80 injured, while three police officers lost their lives and 26 others were injured. According to police, Bishnoi has been convicted in four cases, but none so far for serious crimes like murder.
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Canada alleges India used 'criminal groups like the Bishnoi gang' to target pro-Khalistan leaders
With his neatly trimmed beard, his hoodie draped over his watchful eyes, Bishnoi often sports the relaxed look of a young man. When the stakes are high, he demonstrates astuteness in managing his image. During a court appearance, he wore a T-shirt bearing the image of Bhagat Singh, the revered Indian revolutionary.
In a widely circulated video, reportedly recorded in prison, the bearded gangster says: “There is a desire for revolution in our hearts. Let's see how strong the enemy is. The exact meaning of his words remains ambiguous.
Bishnoi’s rise is unlike any other. “Although he is in prison, he appears to be leading his gang. Who provides him with logistics or access to the media? Such control would be impossible without powerful allies,” says Mr. Singh. Separating man from myth remains elusive.
With additional reporting by Arvind Chhabra in Chandigarh
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