The difference between the two eras is the criminal network at the centre of attention. While the D-Company dominated the underworld in the past, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is now raising concerns about the possibility of organised crime re-establishing its presence in Mumbai.
The early 1990s were marked by gang wars and violence in Bombay. Dawood Ibrahim had emerged as a major underworld don, and shootings and encounters were reported almost daily. An average of 100 to 125 people were killed every year in gang wars or encounters during that period. Extortion targeting Bollywood personalities, builders, bar owners and businesses of various sizes had become common, increasing pressure on the Mumbai Police to eliminate the underworld.
The police eventually launched large-scale operations against gangsters. During this period, a long series of encounters took place, with claims that more than 500 gangsters were killed. Several encounters also came under scrutiny, while a number of encounter specialists rose to prominence. Strict laws, including the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), were introduced to curb organised crime.
Gradually, these measures began to have an impact. Thousands of gangsters, both major and minor, ended up in prison, and by the 2000s, the Mumbai underworld had begun to lose its influence. Dawood Ibrahim continued to operate his network from abroad.
November 2002 is cited as the period of the last shootout in Mumbai attributed to Dawood's gang, the D-Company. The gang led by underworld don Arun Gawli reportedly carried out its last killing in Mumbai in 2008. In 2011, crime journalist Jyotirmoy Dey was murdered by the Chhota Rajan gang. Gangster Ashwin Naik abandoned the underworld and started working as a builder. Abu Salem's gang also disintegrated after his arrest in Portugal in 2002. With the exception of one or two figures, most major dons and their associates had been imprisoned, and Mumbai gradually began emerging from the shadow of the underworld.
In 2003, Dawood's younger brother, Iqbal Kaskar, was deported from Dubai to Mumbai, after which the D-Company's activities in the city also declined. Chhota Rajan, who was arrested in Bali and brought back to India, was lodged in Tihar Jail, where he is serving a life sentence. Abu Salem and Arun Gawli are also serving life sentences in separate cases. Gangsters such as Bunty Pandey and Ravi Pujari have also been imprisoned. As a result, the dominance of the old Mumbai underworld has largely faded.
This absence of a strong rival gang in Mumbai is one factor being considered in the Lawrence Bishnoi gang's growing interest in the city. Unlike the era of Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan, Mumbai no longer appears to have a comparably powerful rival underworld organisation. This could make it easier for the Lawrence gang to establish its network in the city.
The Mumbai serial bomb blasts of 1993 also divided the underworld into two factions. Hostility between Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan intensified. Chhota Rajan presented himself as a patriotic don, while Dawood came to be associated with anti-national activities. The rivalry and struggle for dominance within the underworld subsequently intensified.
Similar questions are now being raised about the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Its social media posts have attracted attention for their use of slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Bharat”. According to some senior police officers who have worked on underworld cases, Lawrence wants to build a large network similar to the D-Company. His ambitions reportedly include expanding the gang internationally, with establishing a foothold in a major economic centre such as Mumbai potentially forming part of that strategy.
Questions After Baba Siddique's Murder
The murder of Baba Siddique initially left investigators and the public uncertain about the motive behind the killing. Many people questioned whether he had been targeted to intimidate Salman Khan. However, the Mumbai Police investigation subsequently identified the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in connection with the murder, and action was taken against accused individuals linked to the gang.
The case prompted further questions about the possible motive. If the Lawrence gang was behind Baba Siddique's murder, was it an attempt to establish its dominance in Mumbai? Previous threats against Salman Khan and the firing incident outside his residence added to suspicions that the gang wanted to demonstrate its presence in the city.
Most police officers who witnessed the underworld at close quarters during the 1990s and played significant roles in tackling it have now retired. The new generation of police officers faces a different set of challenges in dealing with organised crime.
During the earlier era, the police relied on an informant network that provided intelligence about gangsters and their associates. Today, criminal networks extend across multiple states and countries. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang's operating methods have also created difficulties for law enforcement agencies.
In the 1990s, gangsters such as Dawood Ibrahim and Abu Salem brought young men from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to Mumbai and used them for criminal activities. The Lawrence gang has also been accused of recruiting young people into its network and using them to carry out crimes. These recruits often have no previous criminal records, making it difficult for the police to identify them and establish their links to organised criminal networks.
Apart from Lawrence, several prominent members of the gang are associated with managing its networks across different states and countries. Goldy Brar's name has been linked to the gang's activities in Canada, Punjab and Delhi. Rohit Godara has been associated with networks connected to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the United States. Lawrence's brother, Anmol Bishnoi, has been linked to the gang's activities in Portugal, Delhi-NCR, Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal, while Kala Jathedi has been associated with its network in Haryana and Uttarakhand.
According to investigating agencies, the gang attempts to conduct activities across several states through these separate networks.
Claim of More Than 700 Shooters
According to an NIA dossier, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was claimed to have more than 700 shooters, including approximately 300 from Punjab alone. The gang has been accused of using new recruits rather than relying on its older, trusted members to threaten rivals or carry out killings.
These young recruits are allegedly paid relatively small amounts to participate in criminal activities, making it more difficult for investigators to trace the principal conspirators. In several cases, arrested accused persons reportedly disclosed that, in addition to money, they had been promised assistance in escaping Indian law and settling abroad after carrying out an operation. However, these claims can only be established on the basis of evidence in the respective cases.
The NIA dossier also reportedly contains significant information about the alleged supply of weapons to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. It raises the possibility that weapons were smuggled into the gang through routes along Punjab's border with Pakistan.
Other areas mentioned in connection with the alleged supply of weapons include the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh; Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh; and Munger and Khagaria in Bihar.
The dossier also refers to claims that weapons were sourced from countries including Pakistan, the United States, Russia, Canada and Nepal. Disrupting these alleged supply channels is considered important to weakening the gang's network.
How Is the Gang Operating Despite Lawrence Being in Jail?
Despite the NIA dossier and chargesheets, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang's activities have continued to attract attention. Lawrence has been in prison for more than a decade, yet members of his gang have faced police action in different parts of the country.
He was previously lodged in Tihar Jail, subsequently held in different prisons in Punjab and later transferred to Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail. Despite his imprisonment, questions have persisted over the channels of communication between him and associates operating outside prison.
After the Sidhu Moose Wala murder case, the Punjab Police took Lawrence to Punjab for questioning. During that period, he expressed concerns that his life was in danger. He was subsequently shifted to Sabarmati Jail.
In 2023, the Union Home Ministry issued an order under Section 268(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), restricting Lawrence from being taken out of prison for questioning or in connection with other cases. Under this arrangement, police from any state seeking to question him could do so at Sabarmati Jail after obtaining the necessary legal permission.
The order was reported to remain in force until August 2024. However, according to sources, it was extended. Its current status requires confirmation.
The continuation of the gang's activities despite Lawrence's imprisonment has raised questions about how contact is maintained between him and his associates outside prison. The involvement of a gang in a particular crime does not automatically establish that the operation was directed from inside prison. However, if an incarcerated gangster can continue influencing an external criminal network, it presents a serious challenge to the security system.
The Home Ministry's order was intended to restrict Lawrence's movement, but dismantling the network operating outside prison remains a significant challenge.
Although Mumbai's old underworld era has largely ended, the activities associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang have revived concerns about the possibility of organised crime gaining a foothold in the city once again. The key question now is whether the Mumbai Police and central agencies can dismantle the network in time to prevent a return of the fear that characterised the Dawood era.
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