Lawrence Bishnoi's crumbling criminal syndicate: Internal rivalries and high-profile betrayals

The powerful criminal syndicate, led by Lawrence Bishnoi, once a sprawling empire operating across multiple states and countries, is now crumbling due to internal rivalries and high-profile betrayals.

The network, known for its involvement in murders, kidnappings, extortion, and drug trafficking, is fracturing as key members turn against each other, sparking violent conflicts and new turf wars.

The split began last year when Bishnoi’s younger brother, Anmol, was detained in the United States for entering with forged documents. Anmol was also allegedly linked to the 2022 killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, a crime that shocked India. According to police sources in Punjab and Delhi, Bishnoi accused two key members, Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar, of abandoning Anmol during his legal troubles and leaking information to foreign authorities.

The latest rift between Lawrence Bishnoi and the Godara-Brar faction erupted after the shooting outside Bollywood actress Disha Patani’s house in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. On September 12, 2025, gunshots were fired outside Patani’s residence at around 3:45 am, a crime that was quickly claimed on social media by Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar.

The duo justified the attack as retaliation against alleged insulting remarks made by Patani’s sister towards two spiritual leaders. This public claim of responsibility was widely circulated, further highlighting the schism within the once-unified Bishnoi syndicate.

The incident culminated in a police encounter near Tronica City in Ghaziabad on September 17, 2025. The Uttar Pradesh Police tracked down and killed two shooters involved in the Bareilly attack, identifying them as Ravinder of Rohtak and Arun of Sonepat, both from Haryana. The encounter not only eliminated two of the attack’s perpetrators but also drew national attention to the Godara-Brar faction’s increasingly independent and violent operations.

The social media handles of gangster Harry Boxer, besides a joint page of Rohit Godara and Goldy Brar, put posts saying there were some traitors who would be taught a lesson.

As per police and news reports, Harry Boxer, whose real name is Hari Chand Jaat, is a major operative of Rohit Godara’s network. Earlier, he was with Lawrence Bishnoi. He hails from Narayanpur in Rajasthan and previously pursued boxing as well as coaching in Jaipur before becoming involved in criminal activities, leading his family to disown him. Harry Boxer is currently believed to be operating out of the United States.

Without taking names directly, they accused the “traitor,” of colluding with American agencies to free his brother Anmol and of betraying gang interests. Godara emphasised his and Brar’s break from Bishnoi, urging that their current actions not be linked to the former syndicate head.

As per NDTV and The Federal news portals, Bishnoi has reportedly turned to Canada-based Noni Rana to build new alliances. Punjab Police sources said multiple and varying inputs are emerging about these gangs. “The situation is dynamic. More is likely to come out soon. For the law enforcement agencies, this means a major turf war, gang war killings may happen in near future,” said a police official wishing not to be quoted.

The syndicate has already faced a fallout with Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, a dominant figure in Punjab’s underworld and Bishnoi’s former mentor. Bhagwanpuria, known for murder, extortion, and drug trafficking, distanced himself after Moosewala’s assassination, blaming Bishnoi’s group for leaking information that led to police encounters with his shooters. The conflict turned personal when Bhagwanpuria’s mother was killed in an attack claimed by a rival gang on June 26 this year. He is now under detention in an Assam Jail in a case of drug smuggling registered against him by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).

Bishnoi’s syndicate once thrived by forging alliances with groups like the Boxer-Gogi gang, Kala Jatheri in Delhi-NCR, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria in Punjab, and Rohit Godara in Rajasthan. According to a charge-sheet by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), the syndicate operated like a corporate enterprise with over 700 operatives across several states. Its international reach extended to the UK, Azerbaijan, Canada, and Dubai, built on partnerships with Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist Harwinder Sandhu, alias Rinda, and Canada-based Lakhwinder Singh, alias Landa. These connections provided access to sophisticated weapons, enabling drug trafficking, target killings, and arms smuggling, making the Bishnoi syndicate one of India’s most feared criminal networks.

The NIA has compared the rise of these Punjab-associated gangs to the Mumbai underworld of the 1990s. Like the Mumbai mafia, described in the Vohra Committee report after the 1993 blasts, these gangs started with murders, extortion, and kidnappings before expanding into real estate, liquor businesses, and politics. The Bishnoi syndicate exploited sports contests, political campaigns, and government officials to grow its influence, often working with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to secure weapons and smuggling routes.

The syndicate’s notorious crimes include the 2022 assassination of Sidhu Moosewala, which drew national outrage, and the 2023 killing of pro-Khalistani figure Sukhdool Singh Gill, also known as Sukha Duneke, in Winnipeg, Canada. The gang also claimed responsibility for the 2023 murder of Karni Sena President Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in Jaipur and the 2024 killing of former Maharashtra Cabinet minister Baba Siddique, citing his ties to Bollywood star Salman Khan. Khan had been targeted by the syndicate due to his alleged role in a blackbuck hunting case, which holds religious significance for the Bishnoi community. The gang also orchestrated attacks on celebrities, including shootings outside the homes of singers AP Dhillon and Gippy Garewal in Canada, and the murder of gangster Raju Theth in Rajasthan in 2022.

In May 2023, the syndicate was linked to an RPG attack on the Punjab State Intelligence headquarters in Mohali, believed to be coordinated with Pakistan-based pro-Khalistan groups.

In Canada, the Bishnoi syndicate’s activities have raised serious concerns. Canadian authorities and Indian investigators allege the group orchestrated the assassination of Sukhdool Singh Gill in Winnipeg, a killing that strained India-Canada diplomatic relations and prompted calls to designate the syndicate as a terrorist organisation. The group is also suspected of multiple attacks and attempted murders targeting rival gang members and anti-India figures in Canada, often using local operatives.

Extortion threats against Punjabi singers and businessmen in Canada have further fuelled fears of the syndicate’s transnational reach.

Recent shootings at Kapil Sharma’s café, Kap’s Cafe, in Surrey, Canada, were claimed by gangster Harry Boxer, reportedly a former associate of the Bishnoi gang.

In an audio message shared on social media, Boxer said the attacks were carried out because Sharma invited Salman Khan to the café’s inauguration, featured on a Netflix show. Another gang, led by Gurpreet Singh, alias Goldy Dhillon, also claimed responsibility for one of the attacks, suggesting multiple factions may be involved. The second shooting involved over 25 gunshots, causing significant damage but no injuries. Sharma, who was not present during the incidents, has since been provided security by Mumbai Police.