Lawrence Bishnoi's Family Spent Rs 40 Lakh Every Year On Jailed Gangster Since 2015, Cousin Makes Shocking Revelation

New Delhi: The family of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, whose name has come up in the connection of fatal shooting of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, spends around Rs 40 lakh every year, his cousin revealed. Ramesh Bishnoi, 50, also said the family ‘never imagined’ the 31-year-old, a law graduate from Panjab University, would go on to become a criminal. Ramesh Bishnoi said that the jailed gangster hails from a wealthy family, which spends around Rs 35-40 lakh on him every year. “We have always been wealthy. Lawrence's father was a constable in the Haryana Police and owns 110 acres (of land) in our village. Lawrence always wore expensive clothes and shoes. In fact, even now, the family spends ₹35-40 lakh annually on him in jail,” The Daily Guardian quoted Ramesh as saying.Ramesh recalled that he had last seen Bishnoi a decade ago during a court hearing. Lawrence Bishnoi, born Balkaran Brar, is currently lodged in Gujarat's Sabarmati Central Jail and is being probed by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in multiple cases.After Siddique was fatally shot outside his son's office, the Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the murder. Shubham Lonkar had publicly claimed responsibility for the attack on Siddique in a social media post. Further, investigation revealed that the hit job was fisrt assigned to the Maharashtra module of Bishnoi gang, who first demanded Rs 50 lakh but later backed out due to disagreement over payment and also considering the NCP leader's clout. Bishnoi gang has expanded in an unprecedented manner, similar to how Dawood Ibrahim established his network in the 90s, according to the NIA in recent years. The notorious gang reportedly has over 700 shooters in its ranks, with 300 linked to Punjab.The NIA has charged 16 gangsters, including Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar under the stringent UAPA law. In its chargesheet, the NIA said that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang operates like how Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company established his network in the 90s.Dawood Ibrahim started with petty crimes but soon expanded his network through drug trafficking, targeted killings, extortion rackets, and later formed D-Company. Likewise, the Bishnoi gang started with minor crimes and now is one of the most feared in North India. By 2020-21, the Bishnoi gang earned crores of rupees through extortion that were sent abroad through hawala channels, according to India Today.The gang, officials said, has used social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to promote the gang among young people.