NEW DELHI: In a pan-India operation by its Special Cell, the Delhi Police has arrested nine criminals and apprehended one juvenile who were wanted in cases like shootouts, extortions, killings, and arms supply to Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang, the officials said.
The police said they have recovered seven pistols, 31 live cartridges and 11 mobile phones from those arrested from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
With their arrest, the police claimed to have averted some contract killings and other heinous crimes in Delhi, an officer said.
DCP (Special Cell) Pratiksha Godara said a team led by inspectors Shiv Kumar and Satish Rana supervised by ACPs Lalit Mohan Negi and Hridya Bhushan arrested nine operatives of the Bishnoi and Brar syndicate, including one juvenile, from seven states in the country.
Of them, two each have been arrested from Delhi, UP and Punjab, and one each from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Bihar, Godara said.
Bishnoi is presently lodged in Gujarat’s Sabarmati jail, while Brar, whose original name is Satinderjeet Singh, is believed to be hiding in Canada.
Brar, who is said to be running a gang from abroad, is wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The Bishnoi-Brar gang has been involved in the murders of Punjabi singer Sinddu Moosewala in May 2022 and Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in December 2023.It is also stated to be involved in giving threats to Bollywood actor Salman Khan and the firing outside his house.
The officer said some of the arrested gang members remain connected with each other through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other encrypted chat platforms.
Another police officer said the accused identified as Manjeet Singh alias Guri (22), was previously involved in three criminal cases, including an attack on the police personnel and assault on his co-prisoner, while lodged in jail.
Guri was in touch with Brar through one Ajay Rana. On the instructions of Brar in November, 2023, he, along with accused Gurpal, went to murder a property dealer in Punjab’s Zirakpur who had refused to give the extortion money to the gang.
While Guri and Gurpal were on the way, they were intercepted by Delhi police in Zirakpur.
On seeing the police, the duo opened fire at them.