Another Bishnoi-BKI module busted as police unravel their ‘interdependent nexus’

According to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, the Punjab Police had arrested five operatives of the Bishnoi gang-BKI module, including Ritik Naroliya and Sonu Kumar, alias Kali, and three juveniles, for their involvement in the Nawanshahr grenade attack and seized one 86P hand grenade and one .30 bore pistol from their possession.

The DGP had earlier said the relationship between the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), a banned Khalistani terrorist outfit, “is primarily characterised by a nexus of criminal and terrorist activities”. While the exact nature of their collaboration is complex and often involves overlapping interests, the Punjab Police investigations have brought to the fore “how Lawrence Bishnoi gang has been assisting or aligning with the BKI”.

The DGP said acting swiftly on forward and backwards linkages, the CI, Jalandhar, seized one 86P hand-grenade, following the arrest of two BKI operatives Ritik Naroliya and a juvenile in Rajasthan a few days ago. “The disclosure made by the arrested accused led to the arrest of their aides Vishavjit in Kolkata (while he was trying to abscond to Malaysia) and his accomplice Jackson in Nakodar, which led to the recovery of the hand grenade,” the DGP said.

The DGP said, “All arrested accused persons were acting on the directions of Canada-based Bishnoi gang-BKI masterminds Zeeshan Akhtar and Ajay Gill.”

Divulging further details, AIG (CI) Navjot Singh Mahal said, “Preliminary investigations revealed that accused Vishavjit and Jackson had retrieved two hand grenades from Beas through their associates in the last week of July. One of the grenades exploded in a liquor shop in SBS Nagar by other members of this module 10 days ago.”

The AIG stated that a case was registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) police station in Amritsar. “Further investigations into the case are ongoing, and more arrests are likely in the coming days,” he added.

Lawrence Bishnoi and Khalistani outfits’ nexus

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang, known for its extensive criminal operations, including extortion, murder, and arms smuggling, has been “linked to the BKI through a terror-crime syndicate”, and the nexus involves coordinating activities such as smuggling arms, ammunition and explosives across borders, particularly from Pakistan into Punjab, to support terrorist activities, according to police.

The Punjab Police has identified individuals like Harwinder Singh (alias Rinda) and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu (alias Landa), key BKI operatives, as “conspirators working with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to facilitate these operations”.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang is reportedly assisting the BKI by “recruiting and radicalising youths in India, particularly in Punjab, to carry out terrorist acts”. This includes, according to police, providing logistical support and mobilising individuals for targeted killings and other violent activities.

For instance, the Punjab Police noted that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, under the direction of Lawrence Bishnoi and his former associate Goldy Brar, who has now broken away, had been involved in raising funds and recruiting youths for BKI’s terrorist conspiracies in Delhi and other parts of India.

The Bishnoi gang’s role in “procuring and smuggling weapons has been instrumental in supporting BKI’s operations”. The NIA raids in January 2024 across six states uncovered illegal arms, ammunition, and digital devices linked to both groups, indicating their collaboration in smuggling terrorist hardware. Yudhvir Singh (alias Sandhu), a key Lawrence Bishnoi gang member, was identified as “the chief arms procurer for the syndicate, facilitating the supply of weapons from foreign sources”.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang has been implicated in “executing attacks that align with BKI’s objectives”. For example, the grenade attack on BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s house in Jalandhar in April 2025 was attributed to both the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and the BKI, with gang members like Zeeshan Akhtar and Shahzad Bhatti named as conspirators. Similarly, the 2022 RPG attack on the Punjab Police State Intelligence headquarters in Mohali was allegedly orchestrated by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang “on the BKI’s directions”.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s extensive extortion network, which operates across multiple states and internationally, is believed to “channel funds to BKI associates for terrorist activities”.

According to the Punjab Police Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF), “Funds extorted by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang are sent through money transfer services to support BKI’s operations, including in Canada and Thailand. This financial pipeline strengthens BKI’s ability to sustain its activities.”

Shared targets and ideological overlap

While the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is primarily a criminal enterprise, its activities sometimes align with the BKI’s pro-Khalistan agenda, particularly in targeting individuals perceived as threats to their interests. For example, the murder of Khalistani sympathiser Sukha Duneke in September 2023 was claimed by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, suggesting a convergence of interests in eliminating rival or opposing figures.

According to senior police officers, “The relationship is not necessarily ideological but rather a pragmatic alliance driven by mutual benefits in criminal enterprises and territorial control. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s criminal infrastructure provides the BKI with the muscle and resources to execute its terrorist agenda, while BKI offers the Lawrence Bishnoi gang a broader network for arms and funds.”