Need for sophisticated arms led to Bishnoi’s link-up with Khalistani terrorists

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has mentioned in its charge sheet filed against gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and others that foreign-based terrorists were behind the targeted killings that took place in Punjab, and most of the shooters were neither known to the area nor aware of the background of the targeted individuals.

Another reason for this association was the need for sophisticated weapons that were not available in India.

The charge sheet said that as new gangsters were emerging, syndicates were formed between rival groups.

This gangster-terrorist network posed a serious challenge to the unity and integrity of the country, as they had a vast pool of resources in the form of manpower and logistical support, along with a readymade ecosystem.

"Most of the shooters and executors in these cases were from the Punjab region, and the main conspirators were terrorists based abroad. To ensure anonymity for the shooters, individuals who were unknown to the area and unaware of the background of the targeted victims were recruited.

“Gangster syndicates based in other states or other parts of Punjab were useful for this modus operandi. The same unknown shooters were also needed by gangsters and their fellow terror syndicate leaders based in other states as they sought to increase their area of influence in the fight for supremacy," read the charge sheet.

After 2015-16, many new gang leaders started asserting themselves, such as Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Harry Chatha, Sukh Bhikhariwal, Lucky Patyal, Sukhpreet Budha, Sampat Nehra, Binny Gurjar, Arsh Dala and Bhupi Rana.

Therefore, various terror syndicates were formed between rival groups. These terror syndicates were initially formed in Punjab and later expanded to other states.

This gangster-terrorist network posed a serious challenge to the unity and integrity of the country, as they had a significant pool of resources in the form of manpower and logistical support, along with a readymade ecosystem.

These gangsters and their associates were being used by terrorists based abroad, who wanted to execute terror crimes, posing a serious threat to the unity, integrity, and social harmony of the country.

The 2016 Nabha jailbreak was not only a manifestation of the terrorist-gangster association that developed inside the jail, but it was also planned in such a way that only the "right people" escaped. It was the first major terror act executed by the terrorist-gangster nexus.

The first to flee was Harminder Singh alias Mintoo, the chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force (a proscribed terror organisation), and while Mintoo was arrested before he could cross the border, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi (KLF terrorist) escaped towards Nepal and is still on the run.

During the questioning of Deepak Surakhpur, one of the accused associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate who executed the RPG attack on the Intelligence Headquarters of the Punjab Police in Mohali in May 2022, the NIA learnt that he was provided shelter and support by Kashmir Singh Galwaddi while he was hiding in Nepal.

Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, upon exfiltrating to Pakistan, started working for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in association with Babbar Khalsa International chief Wadhawa Singh Babbar.

They all further developed the idea of "targeted killing" because in initial attempts, the executors could not successfully kill the targeted prominent individuals, so they began searching for experienced killers and shooters.

"This was where the Lawrence Bishnoi terror gang fit into the scheme of things. The Bishnoi syndicate is spread across states including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar and Jharkhand.

“While the syndicate continued its criminal activities to terrorise people through extortion, criminal intimidation, and killings, it subsequently got associated with pro-Khalistan elements due to their wide base across states and abroad, availability of a large pool of shooters and financiers, with the advantage of easy availability of funds across northern India," the charge sheet read.

Some of his syndicate members, such as Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar, Sachin Thapan Bishnoi, Anmol Bishnoi, and Vikramjit Singh alias Vikram Brar, have moved abroad to run their gangster syndicate and, in their quest for sophisticated weapons, got associated with Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda through Lakhbir Singh alias Landa.

Both are terrorists associated with the proscribed organisation Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), which acts against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.

"The Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate formed an alliance with the pro-Khalistan cause to satisfy its quest for sophisticated weapons and to further invest the proceeds of terrorism generated through their existing extortion rackets.

“The requirement for sophisticated weapons, including assault weapons, hand grenades, IEDs, and explosives, could not be met within the country.

“Therefore, they aligned themselves with Rinda through his old association with Lawrence Bishnoi, which was further strengthened by the close association of Landa with Goldy Brar," the charge sheet read.

The NIA mentioned that Landa and Rinda are presently the most important associates of the Wadhawa Singh Babbar-led BKI. The syndicate is also trying to settle its important members and executors abroad in the countries of their choice with the help of PKES, who are well-settled in various countries across the world.

This creates a symbiotic terrorist-gangster network between gangsters and Pro-Khalistan elements that fulfil their requirement for shooters to carry out targeted killings, while in return, they obtain sophisticated weapons from across the border.

The gangsters also threatened and attempted to kill Dilbagh Singh, a sub-inspector of CIA, Punjab Police, in Amritsar by planting an ID beneath his vehicle as he was working against them. This was planned and executed by Landa and Rinda, both associates of BKI.

In addition to the targeted killings, the BKI also targeted and attacked important security installations, as manifested in the form of RPG terror attacks on the Intelligence Headquarters of Punjab Police in Mohali, RPG attack on Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran, and IED blast at CIA office.

All the accused executioners were from outside Punjab, including from Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, while only the harborers and logistical supporters were from the state. They were directly supervised by their gang handlers from abroad who further worked on the directions of the BKI.