Terror-gangster conspiracy case: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a key associate of notorious jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi for his involvement in harbouring his gang members, who are involved in various criminal cases including the RPG attack on the Intelligence Headquarters of Punjab Police, Mohali. He was arrested by the central agency on Tuesday.
The accused, Vikas Singh, a resident of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, had harboured Deepak Surakhpur and Divyanshu resident of Faizabad, who executed the RPG Attack on intelligence headquarters in Mohali in May 2022. According to a statement issued by NIA, Vikas has revealed that he had given shelter to Deepak Surakhpur and Divyanshu in his house in village Devgarh, Ayodhya and his flat many times.
Vikas Singh is accused in 10criminal cases
“Vikas Singh is accused in ten criminal cases for the offences of murder, attempt to murder, arms act and gangster act. NIA investigations have revealed that Deepak Surakhpur was introduced to Vikas by Vicky Midhukhera, another associate and friend of Lawrence Bishnoi. Vikas had connected Divyanshu, already known to him, to the Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate” said NIA statement.
“The duo were also involved in numerous targetted/contract killings, including of businessman Sanjay Biyani in Nanded and Rana Kandhowalia in Punjab. Vikas Singh also harboured another accused namely Rinku after Rana Kandowalia's murder case,” the NIA added.
The investigation has also revealed that many gangsters or associates from other states like Rinku, Rajpal (MP) and Bhati (MP) were also harboured by Vikas Singh.
Case pertains to terrorist-gangster nexus in India and abroad
The present case relates to the terrorist-gangster conspiracy hatched by members of Lawrence Bishnoi criminal syndicates/gangs based in India and abroad, to raise funds and recruit youth to carry out terrorist acts in Delhi and other parts of the country.
The investigations so far have shown that the conspiracy was hatched or being hatched in jails of different states and was being executed by an organized network of operatives based abroad.
NIA has already established the involvement of the terror syndicate in several sensational terror cases, including the targetted killing of Pradeep Kumar, a Dera Sacha Sauda follower in 2022 and the killing of Raju Thehth in Sikar, Rajasthan, besides the the sensational killing of famous Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala and the RPG attack in Punjab in May 2022.
NIA arrested 15 accused in terror-gangster conspiracy case
NIA has till date arrested 15 accused and has chargesheeted 14 accused, including Lawrence Bishnoi, in the terror-gangster conspiracy case. The others named in the chargesheet are Jagdeep Singh alias Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Sandeep alias Kala Jatheri, Virender Pratap Kala Rana, Joginder Singh, Rajesh Kumar alias Raju Mota, Raj Kumar alias Raju Basodi, Anil Chippi, Naresh Yadav Naresh Sethi alias Seth, Mohammad Shahbaz Ansari alias Shahbaz Ansari alias Shehzad, Satinderjit Singh alias Satwinder alias Goldy Brar, Sachin Thapan alias Sachin Thapan Bishnoi, Anmol Bishnoi alias Bhanu and Vikramjit Singh alias Vikram Brar.
NIA had filed the chargesheet in the instant case on 24th March 2023 under various sections of IPC, UA(P) Act 1967 and Arms Act, 1959. Further investigations into the conspiracy are continued as part of NIA's efforts to destroy the growing nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers, and to dismantle their funding and infrastructure.
