Massive raids conducted to trace financial trail of Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang

The Sriganganagar district police conducted a massive raid operation today at the hideouts of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his close associates. The main focus was to trace the financial trail of the criminals, including investigating the transfer and return of extortion money abroad through hawala channels. The raids were conducted simultaneously for five hours in Sriganganagar, Bikaner, and Abohar.

SP Dr Amrita Duhan told the media that the action will strengthen the process of extraditing these criminals hiding abroad. During the police operation, police teams equipped with a dog squad, metal detectors, and drones conducted a thorough search of the houses, farms, and other hideouts of the criminals.

Apart from the local police, woman constables of the Special Task Force (STF), District Special Branch, and Kalika Unit were also involved. During the raids, the police tried to find out details of the property the families of the criminals had before they entered the world of crime and whether new properties (named or benami) were purchased later.

The contacts of the criminals were traced by checking agricultural land documents, renovation or new construction of houses, and by questioning the people around. Raids were conducted at the ancestral house of Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi in Dutaranwali village in Abohar. The police found documents of about 100 bighas of agricultural land, a tractor, trolley, Scorpio car, and other agricultural equipment.

A reward of Rs 1 lakh has been announced for Anmol Bishnoi, alias Bhanu, who is reportedly detained in a detention centre in the United States. However, the search could not be conducted at Aarjoo Bishnoi’s house, which was found locked.

The police also raided Rohit Godara’s house in Tejana village, where 21 bighas of agricultural land, 18 bighas of land in Kapurisar village, a concrete house, tractor, and trolley were found. The Bikaner police has announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh on Rohit, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh.

Raids at the ancestral houses of Amit Sharma, alias Amit Pandit, alias Jack, and Yogesh Swami in Chak 15-Z led to the detection of properties in detail. In Chak 01-KLD village of Kartik Jakhar, 20 bighas of agricultural land and a dhani built in the field were found in the name of his grandfather.

During the raid on Vishal Pachar, alias Bablu’s ancestral house in Sriganganagar, properties were found in his father’s name. The SP said that these criminals have been threatening people for extortion through WhatsApp calls and social media for a long time. The money collected is sent abroad through a hawala network, which later comes back to the gang’s hideouts, and this was being investigated.