Lawrence Bishnoi one of the accused in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala and also involved in many cases reported for ransom demand including threatening to kill film star Salman Khan through his associate gangsters outside the jail. The Enforcement Directorate (RD) alongwith National Investigation (NIA) team on Tuesday had conducted raids at 13 premises in Haryana and Rajasthan as part of a money laundering investigation against an alleged members of his gang including Surender Singh Chiku and Kala Jathedi According to NIA information, these associates are having registered number of cases related to kidnapping, murder, extortion, ransom demand and Arms Act in Haryana state are having close links with Khalistan, besides haing links with ‘Khalistani’ terror group in money laundering on directions by Lawrence Bishnoi lodged in the jail.
Information also reveals that the agency during raids seized electronic devices, “incriminating” documents, ledgers, property papers and Rs 5 lakh cash and also traced about 60 bank accounts and a large number of property related papers. Chiku had invested proceeds of crime in mining, liquor and toll businesses through his allies, identified as Satish Kumar and Vikash Kumar directors of a Private Limited Company incorporated on October 12, 2020, the ED discovered. The National Investigation Agency carried out searches at different places in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) in its ongoing case to dismantle gangster-terror nexus.
The places raided by the NIA included Fazilka, Taran Taran, Ludhiana, Sangrur and Mohali districts of Punjab; Yamunanagar district of Haryana, Sikar district of Rajasthan a NCR to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers or traffickers in India and abroad. Information also reveals that this was the third round of raids by the NIA in the case, and searches are part of the crackdown against organised criminal syndicates and networks, top gangsters, their criminal and business associates based in different states and searches were conducted at the houses or premises of Kaushal Chaudhary of Gurugram in Haryana, Vishal Maan of Prahalpur in Delhi, Binny Gurjar of Sangrur in Punjab, Ravi Rajgarh of Ludhiana in Punjab and their associates in which the NIA claimed seized incriminating materials, including various types of contraband along with ammunition and said the investigations will continue to dismantle such terror networks as well as their funding and support infrastructure.
Preliminary investigations revealed that these gangs were carrying out targeted killings and raise funds to carry out criminal activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons, as told by the NIA the criminal syndicates used to extort money from businessmen, professionals including doctors, advocates etc. creating a widespread scare among the people threatening to kill them and their families. These gangs were also using cyber-space to publicize these crimes to create terror among the public through a netw operating from both within and outside the country, who had fled from India and are operating from foreign countries including Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia and Australia by an organized network of operatives while sitting abroad, and even from inside the jails in few cases. NIA information reveals that in September, NIA also conducted searches at 52 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi as well as the National Capital Region.
