Stooping down from celebrities to local businessmen, Lawrence Bishnoi is spreading terror not only in Punjab but across the country. From threatening Bollywood star Salman Khan, orchestrating the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, targeting political figure Baba Siddique, to now gunning down a humble businessman in Abohar, the gangster’s reach shows no bounds, and his impunity grows stronger from behind bars. But the horror is no longer confined to headlines. It now burns in the cries of ordinary families.
A Grieving Brother’s Cry Turns into a National Question
“Why should a man who pays taxes, who gives jobs to thousands, be gunned down like this, on the road, in daylight?”
“Why are these monsters being kept safe in jails? Why is the government sheltering them? What do they expect them to do for the country? Why aren’t they being finished?”
These were not political slogans. These were the howling cries of elder brother Jagat Verma, collapsing in grief beside the funeral pyre of Sanjay Verma, a respected cloth merchant from Abohar. His body still smouldering, Jagat’s cries rang out through the crowd gathered at Shivpuri cremation ground, breaking the silence of mourning and reflecting the collective rage of a state under siege.
Daylight Murder Sparks Panic Across Abohar
Sanjay Verma was more than a trader, he was an employer, a known philanthropist, and an honest man. And yet, on July 7, he was shot dead in broad daylight, just steps from his shop. And the gangsters who ordered it? Still breathing, still issuing threats, from jail.
The brazen murder happened around 10:15 am. CCTV footage shows masked assailants approaching Verma outside his “New Wear Well Gents Tailor” showroom, firing multiple bullets, and fleeing. Their escape motorcycle skidded a short distance away, after which they snatched another bike from a passerby and vanished. Within hours, gangster Aarzoo Bishnoi, a close associate of Lawrence and Anmol Bishnoi, claimed responsibility for the killing on social media.
Fear Shuts Down the City, Anger Mounts
The police have confirmed an FIR under arms and organized crime sections and launched a massive manhunt in and around Fazilka district. But the shock had already ripped through Punjab’s business community. Markets shut down, fear gripped families, and public confidence crumbled again.
BJP Slams AAP Over Law and Order Collapse
During an emotionally charged ‘Arthi Phoonk’ demonstration held by traders in Abohar, Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar addressed the gathering.
“Businessmen in Punjab may soon start paying ransom to gangsters rather than trusting this government for protection,” he warned.
“What happened to Sanjay Verma is proof of how completely the state has failed to protect its own people.”
Jakhar said that the situation in Punjab has spiraled to the point where gangsters now command more fear than the law itself.
Murder Planned from Inside Sabarmati Jail?
The most chilling part of Sanjay Verma’s murder isn’t just that it happened — it’s where it was orchestrated from. Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has been confined in Gujarat’s Sabarmati Central Jail since August 28, 2023, in connection with a Rs 194 crore drug smuggling case uncovered by the Gujarat ATS. The drugs were allegedly sourced from Pakistan and intercepted off the Jakhau coast. Bishnoi, already facing over 75 criminal cases, was transferred to Sabarmati under high security following a court production from Punjab.
MHA Notifications Seal Bishnoi Inside Gujarat But Not His Network
Soon after, in August 2023, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order under Section 268 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which barred his physical movement out of jail — even for court trials. In July 2025, this restriction was extended under Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), India’s new criminal code. The latest MHA notification confirms that no state police or agency can move or interrogate Lawrence Bishnoi outside Sabarmati Jail until August 2025.
Sabarmati Jail Under Watch, Yet International Nexus Emerges
According to DIG Shweta Shrimali, Superintendent of Sabarmati Central Jail, Bishnoi remains under these restrictions and is classified as a high-risk national security detainee. However, recent investigations have uncovered disturbing allegations — including reports of Bishnoi coordinating with ISI-backed gangster Shehzad Bhatti. A viral video purportedly shows Bhatti and Bishnoi in contact, sparking fears of cross-border planning from within Indian prison walls.
Despite Legal Seals, Bishnoi’s Gang Operates Freely
Despite the legal barricades and constant surveillance, Bishnoi’s gang continues to spread terror across state lines, prompting questions not just about policing, but about the effectiveness of legal confinement as a deterrent.
Punjab’s Anti-Gangster Crackdown: Impressive Stats, Grim Reality
Back in Punjab, DIG AGTF Gurmeet Chauhan said that law enforcement continues to push back, even as the threat morphs with technology and youth manipulation. Under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Punjab formed the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) in April 2022, and since then, the state has witnessed one of the most intensive crackdowns on organized crime. Between April 6, 2022 and June 30, 2025, AGTF and field units have:
Punjab’s Anti-Gangster Drive
• 2,112 gangsters and criminals arrested
• 20 gangsters neutralized in encounters
• 782 gangster/criminal modules busted
• 1,811 illegal weapons recovered
• 473 vehicles seized
Of these, AGTF alone accounted for:
• 36 arrests
• 6 gangsters neutralized
• 130 modules busted
• 311 weapons recovered
• 87 vehicles seized.
Juveniles Recruited, Gang Brand Used for Fake Threats
Yet, even with these staggering numbers, Chauhan points to a deeper crisis. “These gangsters have become role models for some youngsters,” he said. “They’re using juveniles to carry out violent crimes, knowing they’ll face softer legal consequences. Even worse, ordinary criminals are now impersonating Bishnoi’s gang in extortion calls — because the name alone terrifies.”
AAP’s Aman Arora Turns the Heat on BJP
Cabinet Minister Aman Arora added his voice to the outrage, accusing the BJP of politicizing law and order instead of taking accountability for national-level sheltering of criminals. Referring to the recent grenade attack at the residence of former BJP Minister Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar, Arora said Punjab Police had arrested the accused within 12 hours, and that the attack was masterminded by Zeeshan Akhtar, linked to both Shehzad Bhatti and Lawrence Bishnoi.
“Instead of applauding Punjab Police, Sunil Jakhar is misleading the public,” Arora said. “Why is Bishnoi still being held under special protection in Gujarat? Despite all these restrictions, he’s still calling shots. What is the Centre trying to protect?”
A Network Beyond Borders, and a Brother’s Haunting Question
Meanwhile, the country continues to watch as a gangster once known only in Punjab grows into a syndicate with arms stretching across India, Canada, Italy, and Australia. With over 75 FIRs, many under UAPA, Lawrence Bishnoi has transformed from a student of law to a lawless icon of digital-era gangsterism.
And back in Abohar, Sanjay Verma’s elder brother, Jagat, still mourns. But more than that — he still demands answers.
His voice is not just that of a grieving brother. It now echoes as a question for a state, for a country, for those in power:
“Why are gangsters safe in jail while honest men burn on pyres?”
THE ISI BACKED NETWORK OF LAWRENCE
The murder of Abohar-based businessman Sanjay Verma has once again drawn attention to a disturbing and evolving threat — the growing nexus between Indian gangster networks and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Investigative agencies have confirmed that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has maintained indirect communication with ISI-backed operatives, most notably Pakistani national Shehzad Bhatti.
Bhatti, who has long been under the radar for his role in cross-border smuggling and targeted attacks in Punjab, is believed to be operating with the support of ISI handlers. Sources in Indian intelligence agencies have linked Bhatti to recent drone drops of arms and explosives, grenade attacks, and the recruitment of sleeper cells in border districts. A recent viral video, allegedly showing Bhatti and Bishnoi in contact, has intensified concerns of a broader design to destabilize Punjab through targeted killings and psychological warfare.
According to Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, the grenade attack on former BJP Minister Manoranjan Kalia’s Jalandhar residence was masterminded by Zeeshan Akhtar, an associate of both Bhatti and Bishnoi. “Despite being in Sabarmati Jail under high-security restrictions, Bishnoi continues to conspire with ISI-backed criminals like Bhatti,” Arora stated, citing intelligence inputs.
Senior jail authorities confirmed that Bishnoi is being held under Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which replaced CrPC Section 268, prohibiting his movement or physical production. Yet, reports of his gang’s operational continuity and international connections raise troubling questions.
Security officials believe the Bishnoi-Bhatti-ISI triangle is part of a calculated strategy to provoke communal unrest and terrorize Punjab’s business class and civil society — without crossing the LOC.
This emerging nexus marks a dangerous shift: from gang war to hybrid terrorism.