City Beautiful in the crosshairs of gangsters

From campus politics to crime

A former officer of Chandigarh Police, Amanjot Singh, said that Lawrence Bishnoi came to Chandigarh as a student and enrolled at DAV College, Sector 10. Around 2011, he entered student politics through the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU). What initially appeared to be aggressive campus politics soon took a violent turn.

Police records show that Bishnoi was booked in multiple cases allegedly related to assault, rioting and firing shots in the air to threaten rivals during student clashes. Though Bishnoi completed his graduation in 2013, he did so while facing several criminal cases.

It was during the Panjab University student elections in 2012 that Bishnoi met Sampat Nehra, a student of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26. Their association later developed into what police describe as the Bishnoi–Nehra gang. Using student networks as a base, the group expanded beyond Chandigarh into Punjab, Rajasthan and parts of Haryana.

Associates, splits and overseas links

Several other gangsters active today also have early links to Chandigarh, according to Amanjot Singh, the former officer of Chandigarh Police. All of them — Rajinder Dimpy, Jaswinder Rocky, Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaipal, and Lucky — came to study here in Chandigarh, but later they entered into such circumstances that all of them were behind bars at one given time. In jail, they all met each other, and started operating as a gang, he said.

As per police records, Goldy Brar, now believed to be operating from Canada, first met Bishnoi during their student days. For years, the two were considered close allies before their relationship broke down. In recent months, audio messages and online statements attributed to Brar and Bishnoi aides have circulated on social media, with both sides accusing each other of betrayal. Police officials say this public split has made the situation more volatile, triggering fresh threats and attempts to assert dominance.

Other names that figure in police investigations include Rohit Godara and operatives known by aliases such as Hari Boxer and Vicky Tehlan. Many began as local enforcers before becoming part of larger crime networks, often with handlers based outside India.

Presence of other gangs in the region

Apart from the Bishnoi-linked groups, police sources say the Bambiha (Bambhia) gang has also maintained a presence in and around Chandigarh. The gang, led by Davinder Bambiha, has long-standing rivalries with the Bishnoi faction and has been linked to several violent incidents in Punjab.

Police officials say that operatives associated with the Bambiha gang have used Chandigarh and its outskirts as transit points and temporary hideouts.

Police officials say that Dilpreet Singh, alias Dilpreet Baba, a known associate of the Bambiha gang, is another figure whose name has surfaced in cases linked to the region, who remained active in the Chandigarh–Mohali belt for extended periods, using rented accommodations and associates to evade arrest before being booked in multiple criminal cases.

Senior Police officers say these overlapping gang networks — Bishnoi, Bambiha and their affiliates — have turned Chandigarh and its vicinity into a common ground for rivalry, recruitment and extortion.

A senior Chandigarh Police officer, currently privy to criminal cases, expressed concern over the growing role of social media. “Gangsters are being glorified online. Extortion and intimidation have become easier because threats are often issued from abroad,” the officer said.

Violence back on city streets

Despite many gang leaders operating from jails or abroad, Chandigarh has not been insulated from violence. Targeted shootings involving rivals and former associates have increased over the past three years.

The killing of Inderpreet Singh, alias Parry, in early December 2025 brought renewed attention to the issue. Parry, who was earlier linked to the Bishnoi gang, was shot dead at the Timber Market in Sector 26. Police said the murder bore the signs of a planned hit. Soon after, voice notes and online posts linked to rival gangs surfaced, raising fears of further retaliation.

Why Chandigarh matters to gangs

Former Chandigarh Police Inspector Amanjot Singh said the city offers several advantages to criminal networks. “Chandigarh has an interstate population, good road connectivity and enough anonymity for people to blend in. Many gangsters spent their early years here, which keeps the city relevant for them,” he said.

Chandigarh has been their hideout, since several of them have known Chandigarh closely from their college days, he said.

Paying guest accommodations, rented flats and even university hostels have at times been used as temporary hideouts. Chandigarh’s location near the borders of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh also allows quick movement across states after crimes are committed, added Singh.