Who are Lawrence Bishnoi and Neeraj Bawana? Why is NIA raiding premises of their close aides across India?
NIA raids on Tuesday targeted notorious gangsters Neeraj Bawana and Lawrence Bishnoi
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India launched raids at several locations throughout the country on Tuesday, February 21, in an attempt to rein in active gangster syndicates. As per media reports, more than 70 sites across several cities were raided by NIA officials. Among the raided places were also the premises of close aides of gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Neeraj Bawana. Lawrence Bishnoi is the same name who has been accused of killing Punjabi singer and politician Sidhu Moose Wala. Kulwinder, a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, was also target in NIA raids. He is accused of sheltering gangsters of the Lawrence gang. The gang has also strong links with international drug syndicates.
Watch: Who killed Indian singer Sidhu Moose Wala and why?
Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh were among the states where NIA was conducting search operations. The current raids are related to an investigation into a case that the NIA filed against gangsters and their criminal organisations. So far, the NIA has conducted four raids against the gangster network.
Who is Lawrence Bishnoi?
Lawrence Bishnoi is the head of the 700-member gang that is involved in several murder and extortion cases across the National Capital Region (NCR). The 31-year-old gangster is currently locked up in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2021. But, that has not stopped him from operating the gang and giving directions to his colleagues, including those based abroad.
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Lawrence fell afoul of the law during his college days only. He entered the world of crime back in 2008 when he shot one of the rival candidates in Punjab University student body elections. In 2010, Lawrence and his gang members were accused of assaulting a winning candidate in PU student body elections. In 2014, he and his gang members shot dead a political rival in Ludhiana Municipal Corporation polls. He is the leader of the gangster-terror nexus running from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan to Chandigarh.
Who is Neeraj Bawana, another target of NIA raids?
Neeraj Bawana belongs to a rival gang of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and was also targeted in NIA raids conducted on Tuesday. NIA conducted raids at the premises of gangster Nikku, the cousin of Neeraj Bawana. After the death of Sidhu Moose Wala, it was Neeraj Bawana and his gang members who vowed to take revenge in ‘two days.’ Neeraj is also imprisoned in Delhi’s Tihar Jail along with his associated Tillu Tajpuriya and thug Davinder Bambiha.
Also Read:Gangster-terror link: National Investigation Agency carries out raids across India
Just like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, the Neeraj Bawana gang is active in states like Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan. The recent NIA raids have terrorised the terror-gangster syndicates across the nation, and the agency is expected to carry out such search operations in the future as well!
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