Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi back in Delhi jail from Gujarat, has cops on toes

NEW DELHI: Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was brought back to Delhi from a Gujarat jail on Wednesday evening, triggering fears of a gang war. Aware of possible repercussions, the Delhi prison administration has lodged him in a high security cell in the Mandoli prison complex, away from Tihar Jail.

However, this may be of little help given a lot of close associates of Bishnoi are learnt to be lodged in Mandoli, a development which cops suspect will only lead to the strengthening of the syndicate.

Sources said that Bishnoi's aides viz Kala Rana and Naresh Shetty are currently in Mandoli besides two main members of the Gogi syndicate named Dinesh Karala and Rohit Moi. Bishnoi had earlier joined hands with the Gogi gang, now headed by Deepak Boxer, even as he vowed to kill members of the Tajpuria and Kaushal Chaudhary gang. The Gogi gang had recently carried out the killing of their rival Sunil Tajpuria by stabbing him over 100 times with improvised knives made of exhaust fan blades.

A source said that the jail reverberated with the chants of "Jai Balkari" as Bishnoi landed there on Wednesday evening and his associates celebrated his arrival. The chant is used by Bishnoi's syndicate before and after a major task. Bishnoi, as usual, woke up around 4am and completed his exercise regime comprising 250 push-ups and Surya Namaskar, an official said.

Prison officials said they were keeping a close watch on him and not allowing him to interact with or meet other inmates. "There is also a chance that the Tajpuria's henchmen or Kaushal gang members may attack him. So, we are taking all precautions. He has been kept under CCTV surveillance," an official said.

Reports of his connection with the killing of Atiq Ahmed had also created a security scare. It is being claimed that the pistols used by Atiq's shooters were provided by the Bishnoi-Gogi syndicate. The cops have, however, not confirmed this officially.

Bishnoi recently revealed the source of his gang's funding and the arms dealers who supplied him with Zigana and other pistols. He also revealed his proximity to a UP-based political entity named Vikas Singh, a development which has had the special cell cops alarmed. His weapon supply contacts in Khurja and MP are also under the scanner.

Bishnoi has also revealed how he got his hands on the cache of arms and ammunition,which his men used in carrying out targeted killings.


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