‘Target killings foiled’: 2 of Lawrence Bishnoi gang held

PATIALA: Patiala Police on Monday thwarted two target killings with the arrest of two operatives of the Lawrance Bishnoi gang from Rajpura.
Senior superintendent of police Varun Sharma, while addressing a press conference, said that the arrested operatives — identified as Harjinder Singh alias Laadi and Subir Singh alias Subi, both residents of Zirakpur in SAS Nagar in Punjab — were handled by foreign-based gangster Goldy Dhillon.
Dhillon, who is an aide of fugitive gangster/terrorist Goldy Brar, had previously handled the sensational firing incident at a house in Chandigarh Sector 5 in Jan 2024.
Dhillon had tasked the operatives to carry two target killings in Rajpura and Tricity areas, Sharma said.
Both the accused have criminal histories, with Laadi having six criminal cases pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, extortion and arms-related offences registered against him.
Subi has two criminal cases under the NDPS Act registered against him.
Laadi, who was also one of the shooters involved in the sensational murder of Meet Bouncer which took place in Panchkula in 2017, was out on bail since Sept 2020.
Police also recovered three pistols, including two .32 calibre pistols and one .30 calibre pistol along with 15 live cartridges from their possession, besides impounding their Maruti Swift car, in which they were travelling.
The SSP said that preliminary interrogation of the accused persons has revealed that Dhillon provided them with a consignment of weapons to avenge the recent murder of Money Bouncer in Kharar by Lucky Patiyal's gang.
This module had already conducted a recce of one of their targets in Rajpura and was coming to Rajpura today to carry out the attack, he said.
The SSP further said that following reliable inputs about four operatives of the Lawrance Bishnoi gang, an operation was planned on the directions of DIG Patiala Range Harcharan Singh Bhullar.
As per inputs, the operatives were in possession of illegal arms and were planning to commit some crime.
They were travelling towards Rajpura from the Zirakpur side.
He said that special team under the supervision of superintendent of police (D) Yogesh Kumar and deputy superintendent of police Rajpura Bikramjit Singh Brar — headed by incharge, special cell Rajpura Harry Boparai — intercepted a silver coloured Swift vehicle that was bearing a fake registration number near Prime cinema at Chandigarh-Rajpura Road and arrested both the operatives.
The SSP said that two of their associates identified as Pawan of Rajpura and Vipan Kumar alias Karan of Banur, who were in a separate vehicle, managed to flee.
Police teams are on a manhunt to nab them, he said.
An FIR has been registered under sections 384, 473, 148 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 25 (6)(7) of the Arms Act at Sadar Rajpura police station in Patiala.