Gangster Bishnoi to face MCOCA charges in Delhi

NEw new new delhi: A Delhi margaret court on tues ordered framing of charges below the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) against gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and 19 others for running an organised crime syndicate operating across the country.An order was passed by Special Judge Prashant Sharma of Patiala House courts.A 79-page order stated, “The accused are singly or jointly involved in the commission of several crimes and have further accumulated wealth by means of extorting from different people by use of violence or threat or intimidation or coercion or with unlawful means with the objective of gaining pecuniary gain”.Along with Bishnoi, charges have also been ordered to be framed against his key associates, including Sandeep alias Kala Jatheri and Sampat Nehra.The judge ordered framing of charges under Sections 3 (organised crime) and 4 (holding unaccountable wealth on behalf of a member of an organised crime syndicate) of MCOCA and under various provisions of the Arms and Explosives Act.The court has now set April 30 as the next date of hearing, when all the accused persons will be produced before the court in person for formal framing of charges.Bishnoi, however, shall not be brought to court in person as a November 2025 order by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) restricts Bishnoi’s movement out of Sabarmati jail in Gujarat, where he is currently lodged, due to law and order concerns.The present case was lodged by the Delhi Police Special Cell in 2021 against Bishnoi and 19 others for allegedly being involved in multiple cases, including contract killings, extortion from businessmen and celebrities, social media threats and arm supply across the country.Apart from Delhi, Bishnoi and his associates also have a MCOCA case lodged against them in Mumbai. To be sure, to invoke MCOCA, the police require to show two chargesheets attracting heinous offences, within a span of 10 years.During the arguments on charge, Additional Public Prosecutor Akhand Pratap Singh, on behalf of Delhi Police, argued that Bishnoi used to act as a central coordinator even from jail while the rest of his associates used to handle execution, logistics and communication.He further submitted tha the gang used to operate as a well-entrenched network instead of a few isolated individuals.On the financial gain extracted out of the crimes, a foremost pre-requisite in MCOCA cases, the prosecutor said that the extortion rackets targeted businessmen, builders and key public figures, demanding money which was subsequently used for lavish expenses.Special Judge Sharma’s order stated that during investigation, several public witnesses were examined, all of whom deposed of received threats demanding protection money and to not depose in court against the accused.The order said, “…it is clearly revealed that members of this crime syndicate are receiving hefty amount of extortion or protection money on behalf of this gang from local businessman, liquor shop owner, local shop owners.”The extortion money was being used for procuring arms to operate gang activities which is clearly shown from the recovery of huge quantity of ammunition from the accused. The court noted that the gang was involved in as many as 71 cases of murder, extortion and arms supply.The court noted that it also came on record that the accused persons were living a lavish lifestyle in jail and spending huge amounts of money from inside prison which was being credited into their accounts.“It has also been found that from time to time many mobile phones were recovered from the gang members of this crime syndicate in the jail which were being used to get executed criminal activities on behalf of the syndicate and to maintain contact with other gang members,” the order read.The court also pointed to the Bishnoi gang’s international links, stating that passport office records state that members of the gang were continuously operating from countries like Thailand, Canada and USA, on a fake passport.Bishnoi is also accused of being involved in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in 2022 where he has been booked by the Punjab Police for the offences of murder and criminal conspiracy.He is also an accused in the 2024 firing outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s residence in Mumbai where is booked for criminal intimidation, attempt to murder and organised crime.