Police probing whether Bishnoi gang received help from anti-national elements outside India

Mumbai: Mumbai Police is investigating if the Lawrence Bishnoi gang received help in the form of funds or weapons from anti-national elements active outside India, officials have said.

The crime branch of city police, which is probing the firing outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan's residence here earlier this month, on Monday produced accused Vicky Gupta (24), Sagar Pal (21) and Anuj Thapan (32) before a court which remanded them in police custody till May 8.

Lawrence, who is lodged in the Sabarmati central prison in Ahmedabad and his younger brother Anmol who is believed to be in the US or Canada, are wanted accused in the case. Anmol had claimed responsibility for the firing through a ‘Facebook’ post, though its IP address was traced to Portugal, police had said earlier.

As Lawrence Bishnoi's organised crime syndicate is active at the international level, police were probing if it received any help from anti- national elements outside India such as supply of arms or funds, the police's remand application said.

Police were also investigating the source of the weapons supplied to the alleged shooters in the present case, said an official.

Investigators believe that the Bishnoi gang wanted to create terror in Mumbai, the financial capital of the country and were probing if the gang members had tried to extort money from businesspersons, film actors and builders in the city, he said.