Four of Godara-Brar gang accused of killing Bishnoi’s aide in US arrested by Haryana STF

Gurgaon: Four key operatives of the Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar gang, accused of murdering a Lawrence Bishnoi aide and attacking another gangster in the US, have been arrested by Haryana STF.STF officials said they recovered four illegal foreign-made firearms and eight live cartridges from the accused. An FIR was registered against the four on Jan 10 at Nissing police station of Karnal district under sections 111(4) (organised crime) and 281 (rash driving) of BNS, and sections 25(6) and 54-59 of the Arms Act.Police said the twin shootings they carried out in the US were a spillover of a deepening split between the Lawrence and Brar-Godara camps. On Dev 23, 2024, they allegedly orchestrated the killing of Sunil Yadav alias Goliya in Stockton, California. According to cops, Yadav was targeted because he allegedly passed on information on Ankit Bhadu, who was killed by Punjab Police in 2019.Both Godara and Brar had claimed responsibility for Yadav's killing. Until Yadav's death, the two notorious gangsters were part of the Lawrence gang before parting ways last year.The same group was also accused of carrying out an attack at a truck repair facility in Fresno in California on Oct 18 last year, targeting notorious gangster and Bishnoi associate Harry Boxer. One associate, Banwari Godara, was killed and another suffered gunshot injuries, with cops calling the attack part of the escalating internal split.According to STF officials, three of the accused had recently returned from the US. Raman arrived in India via Mumbai airport on Oct 21, 2025, while Balraj alias Balram and Ravinder Singh alias Ravi came back in Nov.This Jan 10, an STF team in Karnal apprehended Raman and Lokesh — both residents of Mundri village in Kaithal — while they were travelling in a bulletproof vehicle. Police said they seized two .30 Beretta pistols, one Zigana pistol and a 9mm pistol, along with eight live cartridges. The remaining two accused, Balraj and Ravinder, were arrested on Wednesday from Pundri in Kaithal."All four accused are active operatives of the Rohit Godara-Goldy Brar gang," a senior STF official said.STF chief B Satheesh Balan said Raman had no criminal case in India other than the arms recovery case registered after his arrest, but had made key disclosures about extortion rackets being handled from the US."He confessed that he, along with his Indian associates and an American accomplice, killed Sunil Yadav in California. The gang paid $2,500 to an American shooter for Yadav's murder," Balan said.On the Fresno attack, he said, "In the Oct 2025 case, Raman, along with Balraj and Ravinder and three American associates, including one Will, planned and executed a firing on Harry Boxer. That's because the three accused aligned with the Godara gang while Boxer continued with Lawrence Bishnoi. While Harry survived, two of his associates were killed. Raman provided weapons to Will for the firing on Boxer. Balraj and Ravinder were present at the spot during the attack. The gang paid $7,500 to Will."Raman, Balan said, went to the US in 2017 on his own passport and damaged it later. He then sought asylum, remained in custody for nine months, and later obtained a US green card in 2022. "After the Oct 18 attack on Harry Boxer, Raman returned to India via Mumbai from California within two days. After about 10 days, the other two accused also reached India," he added.According to police, Raman's entry into the network began when the Bishnoi and Godara groups were still together. According to investigators, he came in contact with Lawrence and Godara through gangster Virender Sambhi of Kaithal. Sambhi was killed by the Godara gang in the US this Monday."Through Virender Sambhi, Raman met gangster Bhanu Rana of Karnal and other key members of the united gang, who were involved in multiple crimes in Punjab and Haryana, including grenade attacks, firing incidents and extortion. Through Bhanu Rana, Raman met gangster Noni Rana and Rohit Godara. We have informed NCB and CBI for further action. We are also investigating how Balraj and Ravinder travelled abroad," Balan said.The accused gangsters allegedly ran extortion rackets from abroad and orchestrated firing incidents targeting businessmen, their houses and offices across Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan when extortion demands were not met.