International Desk: In a press conference, Canadian police on Monday alleged that agents of the Indian government were using 'organized criminal groups like the Bishnoi group' to target pro-Khalistan movement leaders in Canada.

This Khalisthani movement demands the establishment of a separate Sikh state.

Bitterness between India and Canada continued to grow after the killing of one such Sikh separatist leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, on Canadian soil last year. Then on Monday, the two countries decided to expel each other's top diplomats. A few hours later, the police press conference raised this allegation.

Delhi has dismissed the allegations as 'absurd' and countered that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is using Canada's large Sikh community for political gains.

The man Canadian police brought up at Monday's press conference is Lawrence Bishnoi. The name of this 31-year-old Indian youth has been linked to several major crimes. He has come to the headlines not only in the country but also at the international level.

Last week, former Maharashtra state minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddiqui was killed near his son's office in Mumbai. The Indian police alleged that the Lawrence Bishnoi group was involved in the killing of the 66-year-old well-known leader. Police have already taken three suspects into custody in this incident.

An associate of Bishnoi shared a post on social media claiming that their group was behind Baba Siddiqui's murder.

Lawrence Bishnoi, who was once on India's 'Most Wanted' list, has been in jail since 2015. He is currently in a jail in Gujarat, far from his native Punjab. Despite this, the police believe that his 'adventurous influence' still remains.

A popular Punjabi singer named Sidhu Muse Wala was shot dead near his village in October 2022. It is alleged that Bishnoi is also the main accused in this sensational murder case.

The list of allegations against him is long. He has also been accused of threatening Bollywood star Salman Khan. The threat was made by Lawrence Bishnoi accusing actor Salman Khan of poaching two blackbucks in Rajasthan. He came into the headlines based on this incident, in the 'Notorious' alliance.

Incidentally, the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan worships blackbuck deer.

On the day Bishnoi was produced in a court in Jodhpur, he told the waiting media in no uncertain terms, 'Salman Khan will be killed here in Jodhpur ... then he will know our true identity.'

Incidentally, the politician who was killed a few days ago named Baba Siddiqui, was a close friend of Bollywood star Salman Khan.

In March last year, a news channel aired two interviews of Lawrence Bishnoi from a Punjab jail. After that, the High Court ordered an investigation into the incident.

However, how a 'high-security' prisoner can conduct a phone interview from a prison remains a mystery.

Federal investigators estimate that he controlled a large crime syndicate of 700 members spread across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.

Members of this group are involved in various criminal activities like extortion from stars, drug and arms smuggling and target killing.

Police said his partner Goldie Brar was operating the gang remotely from Canada.

Incidentally, Goldie Brar is also among the accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Muse Walla.

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Meanwhile, there are more than 30 cases against Lawrence Bishnoi, of which 19 cases are currently pending in court.

Gurmeet Chauhan, a senior officer of Punjab's 'Anti-Gangster Task Force', said, 'He (Lawrence Bishnoi) runs his gang seamlessly from jail. For this he does not need to coordinate everything. He is not confined to one area like other gangsters. His thoughts are big.'

Lawrence Bishnoi was born in a well-to-do family in Punjab. Their families are among the wealthiest in the village. The Bishnoi family lives in a spacious bungalow surrounded by over 100 acres of land.

Incidentally, his father is an ex-policeman. However, he left the police service to look after the family land. Lawrence Bishnoi's mother is a housewife.

The couple has two sons – Lawrence and Anmol Bishnoi. Both are now prime accused in the Sidhu Musa Wala murder case.

A relative named Ramesh Bishnoi told Jupinderjit Singh, journalist of 'The Tribune' and author of 'Who Killed Moose Walla', that Lawrence was named after British officer Henry Montgomery Lawrence, founder of the renowned school Lawrence School in the hill town of Sanawar.

Lawrence Bishnoi's life was full of abundance. He studied in a convent school. He used to ride his own bike from the eighth grade and had expensive shoes on his feet. Such a luxury is unimaginable to many people.

According to journalist Jupinderjit Singh, there is no denying the influence of this introverted personality known for quietly helping children from local needy families.

After finishing school in 2008, he got admission in a college in Chandigarh. Then the student entered politics. It didn't take long to carve out a place there.

Explaining how easily he succeeded in attracting his followers, a Chandigarh police officer told Singh, 'He (Lawrence Bishnoi) had money, style and courage.'

He joined a student organization. Then the student contested the election and lost. Bishnoi took this loss personally.

Police records say that it was during this time that he came in contact with some of the former student leaders turned criminals. This served as the 'turning point' in his life, which brought him closer to the world of violence.

According to the police, Lawrence Bishnoi was involved in fights, arson and shootings on the college campus.

Incidentally, his own state i.e. Punjab is included in drug and arms smuggling, extortion rackets. The local film and music industry has links with this criminal group.

According to many, the state's economy, fueled by cash generated from the sale of drugs, real estate and illegal liquor, has fueled the rise of these groups.

It has also created an ecosystem that combines crime underworld with Punjabi 'pop culture'.

Gangsters in Punjab don't just come to the 'underworld' (dark world) for wealth. They crave 'notoriety', harbor a deep desire to 'become something'. This 'perverse' pursuit of fame has its roots in feudal and patriarchal culture.

Social media has fueled it even more. Many people associated with the criminal world like to present themselves online. Many people flaunt their lifestyles through social media. In this world, crime is often seen as a path to quick money and glamour.

This is also believed to have lured many retired sportspersons and a large section of the younger generation to the dark side in Punjab.

Police have dismantled more than 500 such criminal groups since mid-2021. More than 1,400 individuals associated with those groups have been arrested.

16 people were killed and more than 80 injured in clashes with the police. Three police officers were killed and 26 police personnel were injured in the clash.

Lawrence Bishnoi is yet to be convicted of serious crimes like murder, despite being convicted in four related cases, police said.

Lawrence Bishnoi's neatly trimmed beard, his two watchful eyes almost covered by a hoodie. Lawrence Bishnoi is usually seen dressed like any other youth of his age. However, it is also seen to display 'cleverness' in projecting one's image in particular situations.

He was once seen wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Indian freedom fighter Bhagat Singh during a court appearance. In a widely circulated video recorded in prison, he was heard saying, 'We have a desire for revolution in our hearts. Let's see how strong the enemy is.' However, his exact meaning remains unclear.

Lawrence Bishnoi's rise is unlike that of any other person associated with the crime world. 'He seems to be running his group despite being in prison. Who provides him with the logistics or access to the media? Such control is impossible without strong allies.

However, these issues have always remained elusive.

Source: BBC