New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a supplementary charge sheet in the Special Court, Ahmedabad against jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in a case involving the seizure of around 39 kg heroin by the Gujarat Police.

According to the statement issued by the NIA, the charge sheet has been filed under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with section 66C of the Information Technology (IT) Act. 

“Additionally, relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, along with various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, have been invoked in the charge sheet,” it said. 

This case initially began with the Ahmedabad Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) when it was registered on September 15, 2022. 

“Subsequently, the NIA took charge of the case, re-registering it on August 20 this year. The investigation in this case remains open,” it added. 

New Delhi, Aug 2 (IANS) An international arms trafficking network, which was allegedly used by the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang to procure weapons used to kill Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, was busted with the arrest of three men, a Delhi Police official said on Wednesday.

The arrested men were identified as Md. Ovais alias Shamshad (27), a resident of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, Mohammad Afroz (25), and Mohammad Adnan Hussain Ansari (26), both residents of Hazrat Nizamuddin.

The Special cell of Delhi Police has recovered 12 semi-automatic pistols, including Zigana, Beretta, and Slovakian pistols, Nepal currency, a SIM card from Nepal, and a specialised iron box used for trafficking guns from the possession of the accused.

Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal said that several incidents of crime were reported in Delhi/NCR recently, where sophisticated weapons were used by criminals and gangsters.

Police closely monitored tell-tale signs of these incidents and gangs, which led to the discovery that the gangsters and criminals were obtaining these sophisticated weapons through cross-border trafficking facilitated by their conduits.

"On July 25, specific information was received that Ovais would come near Ghata Masjid, Opposite Shanti Van, to deliver a huge consignment of arms to his associates in Delhi. A trap was laid, and Ovais was apprehended with 10 semi-automatic pistols, including Zigana and Slovakian pistols, in his possession," said Dhaliwal.

During the investigation, Ovais's associates, Afroz and Ansari, were also arrested in the Hazrat Nizamuddin area. 

"Further, at the instance of accused Afroz, one USA-made pistol (a Beretta), Nepal currency, a Nepal SIM card, Nepali recharge vouchers, and a specialized iron box used for trafficking pistols were recovered. At the instance of accused Ansari, one semi-automatic pistol was also recovered," said Dhaliwal.

Interrogation revealed that the arrested men were active members of an international arms trafficking network, which was earlier headed by Shahbaz Ansari, a resident of Khurja, Bulandshahr.

"After the arrest of Shahbaz, Ovais assumed the charge of module head and started trafficking weapons across the border. Ansari would contact their counterpart in Dubai and place the order for weapons, who in turn would convey the demand to other members of the module based in Pakistan," said the Special CP.

"The Pakistan-based members of this module, after taking the order, would supply weapons by air cargo to Nepal in a concealed iron box specially designed for the purpose. Once the consignment reaches Nepal, the same would be taken out easily by the members of this module, as the custom officials of Nepal are compromised by this module," said the Special CP.

Thereafter, Ovais and Afroz would travel by road, taking advantage of the porous Indo-Nepal border to transport the arms to India.

"As per their interrogation, they had brought in four consignments, including one dry run. One foreign pistol costs around two to three lakhs, and they used to sell the same to criminals and gangsters of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan for about 7-8 lakhs," the official added.

Chandigarh, July 11 (IANS) Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was admitted to a government hospital in Punjab's Faridkot town on Tuesday after he fell ill.

He has been lodged in jail in Bathinda.

The police have blamed Bishnoi and fugitive Goldy Brar for killing famed singer Sidhu Moosewala in Mansa district on May 29 last year.

Gangster Bishnoi was taken to the emergency ward of Faridkot medical college after his health deteriorated.

According to doctors, the gangster is suffering from high fever and stomach infection and has been shifted to a ward.

New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) The Delhi Police's Special Cell has arrested three sharpshooters of the Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate from the Rohini area, an official said on Saturday.

The accused were identified as Udit Sadh (31), a resident of Krishna Nagar; Anish Kumar, alias Mintu (42), a resident of Nangloi; and Mohit Gupta (27), a resident of Nihal Vihar.

According to police, on June 23, 2023, a merchant based in Lajpat Rai Market received an extortion call, and the accused threatened him on behalf of Lawrence Bishnoi while demanding Rs 20 lakh as protection money.

“On July 3, specific information was received that the accused involved in the extortion case would meet near Gate No. 3 of Japanese Park, Rohini, to discuss their next course of action since the complainant refused to pay the extortion money,” said Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal.

The police laid a trap and the trio was apprehended.

“During a cursory search, two single-shot pistols and four live cartridges were recovered from their possession,” said Dhaliwal.

The Special CP further stated that Sadh used to sell clothes in the wholesale market and had also previously run a shop in Lajpat Rai Market, Old Delhi. He was familiar with several wholesale dealers in the area and used to visit them frequently. Due to their close proximity, he also had their mobile numbers.

“Then, to make easy and fast money, he started cheating people on one pretext or another and went to jail for the first time in 2015, where he met co-accused Anish Kumar and members of the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang,” said the official.

Recently, he conspired with his associates Anish and Mohit to threaten innocent merchants in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi, knowing that they could easily extort money using his name. “They used to call the complainant from a nearby area of Tihar Jail, so both the police and the complainant presumed that the alleged caller was based in Tihar Jail. He also arranged for illegally made pistols and live cartridges to threaten the complainant,” said the official.

New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has mentioned in its charge sheet against Lawrence Bishnoi that the gangster didn't directly talk to any shooter, but routed them through his close associates, including Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar and his brothers, Sachin Thapan Bishnoi and Anmol Bishnoi.

The charge sheet also mentioned that the entire network was run on anonymity and nobody knew who the actual boss was.

"The gang operated on anonymity. A person in the gang knew only the person who is above him in the hierarchy and all the gang members involved in an operation did not have every information about the rest of the members. 

"The gang members present at the time of killing also often did not know each other so that even if one got caught, the rest of the gang members remained safe," the charge sheet read.

The NIA also said that its investigation has revealed that distribution of work used to be done with careful planning, and the gang members were assigned different tasks. The matters pertaining to funding were mostly decided by Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Darmanjot Kahlon. 

"Bishnoi was intentionally running the entire operations from behind the jail. He was so adept in operating from inside the jail that he didn't apply for bail in any case. It is also revealed that a considerable part of money generated through extortion activities was sent to Canada, the US, Dubai, Thailand and Australia for the use of their associates/family members based abroad and also for funding the activities of pro-Khalistan extremists," the charge sheet read.

The NIA has further mentioned that kidnapping, murder, extortion for ransom, cross-border smuggling of sophisticated weapons and narcotics, in-land smuggling of contraband, illegal liquor smuggling, were the main activities of this terror syndicate. 

Accused Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar made the operational base for the Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate in Canada. Bishnoi's brother Anmol Bishnoi, Sachin Bishnoi and Vikramjit Singh operate from abroad.

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) The NIA is likely to grill gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in connection with the sensational murder case of Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf.

Sources in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said that they will grill him regarding the weapons used by the three murderers of Atiq and Ashraf.

"The killer used Zigana, the Turkey-made pistol to eliminate Atiq and Ashraf. It was the same weapon which was used to kill Punjabi singer Siddhu Singh Moosewala," said the sources.

The sources said that gangster Sundar Bhati also has connections with Lawrence Bishnoi and they are looking into this angle too.

Sunny, one of the killers of Atiq and Ashraf, used to call Bishnoi his role model.

Last year, the NIA lodged three separate FIRs (FIR no. 37, 38, 39). In FIR no. 37 the agency had mentioned about foreign based pro-Khalistan supporters who had been hatching a conspiracy to wage war against India and to create unrest in the country.

FIR no. 38 was lodged against Bambaiya Gang in which Neeraj Bawana, Kaushal Chaudhary and others were made the accused.

FIR no. 39 was lodged against Lawrence Bishnoi, Kala Jathedi, Kala Rana and their aides.

"Today Lawrence Bishnoi was produced before the NIA court in connection with FIR no 37. Recently, we held one Deepak in the case. Deepak was in touch with Bishnoi," the source said.

The sources said the gangsters have formed two 'Mahagathbandhans' to run their crime syndicates smoothly by creating a pan-India network.

In gangsters' Mahagathbandhan the group A is of Neeraj Bawana. "In Neeraj Bawana's Mahagatbandhan there are Saurabh alias Gaurav, Suvegh Singh alias Sibbu, Subham Baliyan, Rakesh alias Raka, Irfan alias Chhenu, Ravi Gangwal and Rohit Chaudhary and Davinder Bambiha Gang," the source said.

In Lawrence Bishnoi's group (team B), there is Sandeep alias Kala Jatehdi, Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, Rohit Moi, Deepak Boxer, Prince Tewtia, Rajesh Bawania and Ashok Pradhan.

These two Mahagathbandhan gangsters have created havoc in many states and are also indulging in gang wars.

"If their teams have any connections with the Atiq and Ashraf murder case, we will share the entire operation with the UP Police," said the official.