Karni Sena chief murder: How the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is becoming more dangerous

The murder of a Karni Sena leader is shining the spotlight on the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Rohit Godara, a member of the Bishnoi gang, has claimed responsibility for the murder of the Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi on Facebook. Bishnoi in May was shifted to Delhi’s Central Jail from Gujarat. He is one of the accused in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. But what do we know about this case and the gang? How deadly is it? Who is running it? What do we know about its activities? Let’s take a closer look: What do we know about this case? Gogamedi was killed by unidentified assailants at his home in Jaipur on Tuesday afternoon. The incident occurred in the Shyam Nagar area. As per NDTV, Gogamedi, whose split from the Karni Sena which led protests against the movie Padmaavat, was shot dead at point-blank range after drinking tea with the men. Gogamedi formed Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena after he was expelled from Sri Rajput Karni Sena in 2015 over differences with its founder Lokendra Singh Kalvi. As per India Today, the assailants arrived in an SUV. Jaipur police commissioner Biju George Joseph said, “Three men went to Gogamedi’s house and told his security guards that they wanted to meet him. The guards took them inside and the men talked to Gogamedi for 10 minutes before opening fire at him."

CCTV footage shows that the assailants shot Gogamedi at least four times.

Gogamedi’s guards fired on the gunmen and killed one. However, the others fled on a bike they stole at gunpoint outside Gogamedi’s home. As per India Today, Gogamedi was then rushed to Metro Mass Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. Ajit Singh, one of Gogamedi’s guards is in the Intensive Care Unit. [caption id=“attachment_13469932” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Hours after Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang took to Facebook toHours after Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena president Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi was shot dead, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang took to Facebook to claim responsibility for the deed. Moneycontrol claim responsibility for the deed. Moneycontrol[/caption] His condition remains critical. Joseph told the outlet the slain attacker was identified as Naveen Singh Shekhawat. Shekhawat, who lived in Shahpura, ran a cloth shop. “The entire incident was captured on CCTV. We are trying to identify and trace the other two accused. Those involved in the planning of the murder will also be caught,” Joseph said. The police recovered a bag, a liquor bottle and empty glasses from car the outside Gogamedi’s home, as per India Today. One of Gogamedi’s relatives told reporters outside the hospital that he had been receiving threats for a long time and feared an attack. He claimed police had been informed about the threats. In June, a local functionary of Shri Rajput Karni Sena was found dead under mysterious circumstances. The body of Mohit Patel (27), district working president of the Karni Sena, an organisation of Rajputs, was found in his car under Kanadiya police station area late. Additional Commissioner of Police Jayant Rathore told PTI it appeared two bullets were pumped into his chest from point blank range, NDTV quoted Union minister and BJP leader Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as saying he was shocked by the killing. “I have spoken to the police commissioner and asked him to arrest the accused at the earliest,” Shekhawat added. Shekhawat also tol_d India Today,_ “Not a single criminal will be spared. Criminal gangs flourished due to the previous government. As soon as the BJP government is formed, we will rein in it. Security should be given to all such people who have been threatened by miscreants.” The recent Assembly election saw the BJP defeating the Congress in Rajasthan. Ex-Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje wrote on X, “The murder of Shri Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, National President of Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena is unfortunate. May God give peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family.” Bishnoi gang claims responsibility Then, hours after the incident, a member of the Bishnoi gang took to Facebook to claim responsibility for the deed.

Godara in a Facebook post claimed Gogamedi was attacked for helping the gang’s enemies.

India Today quoted the post as saying, “Brothers, today Sukhdev Gogamedi was murdered. We take full responsibility for this. We have got this murder done. I want to tell you that he (Gogamedi) used to help our enemies, thus strengthening them. As far as our enemies are concerned, they should keep their bier ready at the doorstep of their house. We will soon meet them too." Firstpost has not independently verified the authenticity of the claim. The incident comes less than two weeks after gunshots were fired outside the home of Punjabi singer-turned-actor Gippy Grewal in Canada. That instance too saw a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang take to Facebook to claim responsibility for the incident. “You consider Salman Khan a brother, but now it’s time for your ‘brother’ to come and save you. This message is also for Salman Khan – don’t be in the illusion that Dawood will save you; no one can save you. Your dramatic response to Sidhu Moose Wala’s death did not go unnoticed. We all know the kind of person he was and the criminal associations he had. You hovered around Vicky when he was in Middukheda, and later, you mourned even more for Sidhu. You’ve now landed on our radar. Consider this a trailer; the full film will be released soon. Flee to any country you wish, but remember, death doesn’t require a visa; it comes uninvited,” the gang posted on the social media site. The gang cited Grewal’s ‘proximity to Salman Khan’ as the reason behind the attack. Bishnoi himself had previously threatened Salman over the killing of a blackbuck – which his community reveres and considers its killing a sin. However, Grewal told News18 he wasn’t friends with Salman and that they only met on a couple of occasions. [caption id=“attachment_13469942” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Gippy Grewal and Salman Khan at the launch of his movie Maujaan Hi Maujaan. News18[/caption] In September, the Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the murder of Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha Duneke, as per The Hindu. The NIA was on the lookout for Duneke for his links with pro-Khalistan terrorists. The gang on Facebook claimed Duneke played a significant role in the killings of criminals Gurlal Brar and Vicky Middukhera, as per The Times of India. The Bishnoi gang had also taken responsibility of the murder of Moose Wala. The Punjabi singer was shot dead on 29 May 29, 2022 in Punjab’s Mansa – a day after the state government took away his security. What do we know about the gang? As per The Times of India, the Bishnoi gang is thought to have around 700 members across the country. The gang, which employs professional sharpshooters, has spread its tentacles in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Himachal Pradesh domestically, as per India Today. They are famed for extorting the liquor mafia, Punjabi singers, and other influential people. Its founder Lawrence Bishnoi, 30, is said to have a massive following in Punjab.

He has been accused of running his criminal enterprise from prison.

More from Explainers

Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar Giorgio Armani will: Who will get the inheritance? What happens to his fashion empire?

He is also alleged to have links to the rich and powerful. Bishnoi began his criminal career alongside Goldy Brar aka Satwinderjeet Singh in their university days, as per the outlet. He is facing multiple charges including murder and extortion. The incident occurred on the same day that the Enforcement Directorate Tuesday conducted multiple raids in Haryana and Rajasthan as part of a money laundering investigation into the gang. [caption id=“attachment_13152292” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Gangster Goldy Brar is a known associate of Lawrence Bishnoi and has a number of cases of murder and extortion against him. File image/PTI[/caption] The central probe agency is covering around a dozen locations in the two states as part of the action being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The ED’s action stems from FIRs and charge sheets filed against the gangster by the National investigation Agency (NIA). As per Hindustan Times, the ED has accused the gang of smuggling drugs and weapons both in India and overseas. People in the know told the newspaper the gang is also accused of helping pro-Khalistani groups, extorting people and carrying out assassinations for hire. Though Bishnoi himself is in jail, Indian agencies say that he coordinated with Khalistani groups operating out of Canada with Brar. The newspaper earlier reported that Bishnoi was sending money made in India via extortion and smuggling overseas. The ill-gotten gains were then spent on yachts, movies, the Canadian Premier League, clubs and bars in Thailand. “…the money collected through extortion, illegal liquor, arms smuggling business, etc was sent to…Goldy Brar and one Satbir Singh alias Sam in Canada through hawala for further investment as well as for funding the radical activities of pro-Khalistan elements…,” the chargesheet filed in March said, as per the newspaper. It remains to be seen what the Bishnoi gang gets up to next. With inputs from agencies