Bishnoi gang hires hitmen with no criminal record

New Delhi: As police investigates the killing of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique and probe any possible involvement of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, officials said that the modus operandi of the Bishnoi gang is to engage youth with no criminal records while meeting between its associates and selection of a target is done inside jails as members of the gang are wanted by police across various states in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Mumbai. Bishnoi has been lodged in Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad since 2023.

"These gangsters engage their criminal network to lure unemployed youth, not only in Punjab but also from the neighbouring states by offering them either huge amounts of money or a promise of helping them settle abroad," according to the NIA.

For the killing of Siddique, police officials said the shooters were first timers. Early this year, the gang was behind the killing of INLD chief Nafee Singh Rathee and a Gurugram-based bookie Sachin Munjal. Bishnoi's associate from Canada, Rohit Godara, had claimed responsibility for the killing. On Bishnoi's alleged proceeds of crimes, the NIA has unearthed that one Manish Bhandari, living in Thailand, manages the funds. Bhandari runs the night club chain named Bollywood Club, Cama Club and a hotel-cum-restaurant Punappa in Thailand. The money collected through extortion, illegal liquor and arms smuggling business is sent to Bhandari in Thailand through hawala for investing in night clubs and bars, according to the NIA.


The profits from the target killings and extortion were shared with everyone for providing foot soldiers and to invest in properties. A huge amount of money, generated through extortion activities, was sent to Canada, USA, Dubai, Thailand and Australia for the use of their associates based abroad, family members and for funding the activities of Pro-Khalistan Extremists also," officials told ET.