NIA attaches 4 properties of Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate members in 3 states
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday seized four properties of members of the Lawrence Bishnoi organized terrorist-crime syndicate in three states, an official said.
The federal agency spokesperson said, this action is another major step towards dismantling the terrorist-gangster-drug smuggler nexus in the country.
The official said three immovable and one movable properties were seized in a coordinated action under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
The spokesperson said the NIA found that all these assets were “proceeds of terrorism” and were used to hatch terror plots and commit serious crimes.
The attached properties include a flat in Lucknow’s Gomti Nagar Extension, which belonged to Vikas Singh, who harbors a terror gang in Uttar Pradesh.
Two other properties attached in the action are located at Bishanpura village in Fazilka, Punjab and are owned by accused Dalip Kumar alias “Bhola” alias “Dalip Bishnoi”, the spokesperson said, adding that an SUV is registered in the name of Joginder Singh. It was also seized in Yamunanagar, Haryana.
Citing investigation findings, the officer said Vikas Singh is an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, who has harbored terrorists, including those involved in the rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Punjab Police headquarters in December 2022. Gangster Kala Rana’s father Joginder Singh, a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, facilitated the syndicate members by allowing them to use his SUV to transport arms and ammunition to promote terrorist acts, the officer said. Had been.
The spokesperson said the property of accused Dalip Kumar was being used as a shelter or warehouse for storing and hiding weapons and also for harboring members of the terrorist group. The NIA had registered a case under UA(P)A against the organized crime syndicate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his associates in August 2022.
The agency’s investigation revealed that the gang had mafia-style criminal networks in several states of the country.
The officer said members of these networks were involved in several sensational crimes such as the murder of religious and social leaders like popular Punjabi singers Sidhu Moosewala and Pradeep Kumar and they were also involved in large-scale extortion from businessmen and professionals.
The investigation also revealed that several terror conspiracies were hatched by leaders of organized terror syndicates operating from foreign countries, including Pakistan and Canada, or from jails in India, the official said.
The spokesperson said that as part of its efforts to disrupt and dismantle such terror and mafia networks and their support infrastructure, the NIA has adopted several targeted strategies in recent months, including attachment of assets derived from “proceeds of terrorism”. And confiscation is also included.
