In recent years, the name Lawrence Bishnoi has become synonymous with some of the most notorious criminal activities in India, including a series of high-profile assassinations, extortion schemes, and alleged links to terrorism. Bishnoi has been in the media spotlight, with reports about his gang’s sprawling network, which allegedly spans 21 Indian states and even extends overseas. From the killing of iconic figures like Sidhu Moose Wala to the assassination of Khalistani separatists, Bishnoi’s gang has been blamed for numerous violent acts. However, a closer look at some of the crimes attributed to Bishnoi, along with his alleged hit list, which includes Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and political figures like Baba Siddique, raises critical questions: Is Lawrence Bishnoi truly behind these killings, or is he a pawn in a much larger game, manipulated by forces that seek to control the narrative?
The Salman Khan Incident: A Sacred Animal or a Convenient Excuse?
Salman Khan has been in the crosshairs of Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang for years, with Bishnoi himself allegedly issuing threats to the actor. The reason for this hostility, as often reported, stems from the infamous blackbuck poaching case, where Khan was accused of hunting down an animal considered sacred by the Bishnoi community. In 1998, while filming a movie in Rajasthan, Khan allegedly killed a blackbuck, an antelope species revered by the Bishnois for its religious significance. Bishnoi’s gang vowed to take revenge on the actor, with Lawrence reportedly stating that he would kill Khan for disrespecting their beliefs.
However, the circumstances surrounding this vendetta raise several doubts. Salman Khan’s case has been dragging through the Indian legal system for decades. His involvement in the blackbuck killing is widely known, yet the question remains: Why should Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster more interested in extortion, violence, and control over criminal enterprises, care so deeply about a 1998 incident involving a Bollywood actor? Is this personal vendetta the real motive, or is the blackbuck case simply a convenient narrative to cover up a deeper agenda?
Many have speculated that the focus on Salman Khan’s involvement in the poaching case serves as a diversion, allowing Bishnoi to be framed as a ruthless criminal without examining the broader context of his activities. The question then becomes: Why would Bishnoi target someone like Salman Khan, a prominent and influential figure, unless there were other interests at play? Is the vendetta against Khan based solely on the actor’s actions, or is it part of a broader strategy that involves larger forces at work?
The Curious Case of Baba Siddique: Another Target, Another Puzzle
The inclusion of Baba Siddique, a well-known politician from Maharashtra, on Lawrence Bishnoi’s alleged hit list has only added to the mystery surrounding the gangster’s true motives. Siddique, a former Member of Parliament and a close associate of several influential politicians, was reportedly targeted for reasons that remain unclear. While the killing of Sidhu Moose Wala and other political figures had more obvious connections—either through rivalries or ideological differences—the inclusion of Siddique on this list raises serious questions.
What possible motive could Bishnoi’s gang have for targeting Siddique, a figure with no clear ties to any criminal or separatist activities? Was Siddique’s inclusion on the hit list part of a larger political game, where Bishnoi is being used as a pawn by more powerful entities, or does the gang genuinely harbor animosity toward the politician? The lack of clear answers has led many to speculate that Bishnoi is being manipulated, with his name being used as a cover for politically motivated killings that serve other agendas.
The possibility that Siddique, like Salman Khan, has been targeted to serve a hidden political purpose cannot be ruled out. In India’s complex political landscape, where crime, politics, and ideology often intersect, it is not uncommon for criminals to be used by political forces to settle scores or eliminate rivals. Could Bishnoi’s gang, known for its brutal efficiency and wide network, be acting on behalf of other interests?
The Conflicting Narrative of Pro-Khalistan Links
One of the most puzzling aspects of the Lawrence Bishnoi saga is the alleged contradiction between his gang’s actions and his supposed connections to Khalistani separatist groups. In March 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet claiming that Bishnoi and his gang had links to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), a banned pro-Khalistan terrorist group, as well as other similar outfits. The chargesheet painted a picture of a gang deeply involved in the terror-criminal nexus, working in conjunction with these separatist groups to carry out criminal activities across the country.
Yet, in a striking contradiction, many of the people reportedly killed by Bishnoi’s gang were either Khalistani sympathizers or directly associated with the pro-Khalistan movement. Sidhu Moose Wala, the young Punjabi singer gunned down in May 2022, was believed by Indian intelligence agencies to be sympathetic to the Khalistani ideology. Sukhdool Singh Gill, aka Sukha Duneke, a Khalistani separatist living in Canada, was another high-profile target eliminated by Bishnoi’s gang. This leads to a baffling question: Why would a gangster with alleged ties to pro-Khalistan groups be responsible for killing their sympathizers?
This contradiction suggests that there might be more to the story than meets the eye. If Bishnoi was indeed working with or for pro-Khalistan groups, why would his gang target individuals who are ideologically aligned with those very groups? One explanation could be that the Khalistani links are a smokescreen, created by law enforcement agencies to frame Bishnoi in a specific light. By associating him with banned terrorist outfits, the authorities could justify cracking down on his gang while simultaneously eliminating figures associated with the Khalistani cause, without drawing too much attention to the political motivations behind these killings.
A Convenient Scapegoat?
The more one delves into Lawrence Bishnoi’s criminal activities and the narrative spun around him, the more it seems that he might be serving as a convenient scapegoat for forces far more powerful than a street-level gangster. While there is no denying that Bishnoi is a criminal with a significant network, the complexity and contradictions in the cases attributed to him raise serious questions about whether he is truly in control of his gang’s actions or whether he is being manipulated by political or intelligence agencies to carry out their dirty work.
It is worth noting that Bishnoi has been in prison since 2015, and yet, his gang continues to operate with impunity, carrying out high-profile assassinations and violent crimes across India and abroad. How does a man incarcerated in a high-security prison maintain such control over his operations? According to anonymous sources within law enforcement, Bishnoi uses Voice over IP (VoIP) calls to communicate with his associates outside jail. This method allows him to bypass traditional surveillance mechanisms, but it also raises the question: How much of this communication is genuinely from Bishnoi, and how much is being attributed to him by others?
The suggestion that Bishnoi’s gang could be used as a tool by Indian intelligence agencies has gained traction in recent years. In the case of the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist leader killed in Canada in 2023. There were rumors that Indian authorities hinted at Bishnoi’s involvement, despite no official claim being made by the gang. Could it be that Bishnoi’s name is being used as a cover for state-sponsored actions, allowing the authorities to distance themselves from controversial killings?
The Need for Transparency
Given the contradictory nature of the allegations against Lawrence Bishnoi, it is crucial that the public gets a clearer understanding of who he is and what his true role in these killings has been. One way to achieve this would be for Bishnoi to be allowed to speak directly to the media, unfiltered and unmanipulated by law enforcement agencies. Let him confirm or deny the charges that have been laid against him. Let him explain his alleged connections to pro-Khalistan groups and why his gang has targeted figures like Salman Khan, Baba Siddique, and Sidhu Moose Wala.
Without this transparency, the narrative surrounding Lawrence Bishnoi will continue to be clouded by suspicion and speculation. Is he a criminal mastermind with an ideological bent, or is he merely a pawn in a much larger game, used by forces beyond his control to carry out politically motivated killings? For the sake of clarity and justice, it is time for the world to see, hear, and know the real Lawrence Bishnoi, free from the narratives imposed by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Only then can the truth about his involvement in these high-profile killings, particularly of political figures between 2022 and 2024, come to light.