Another arrest in Moosewala case; NIA nabs jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's key aide deported by UAE
PTC Web Desk: In a significant development related to the terror-gangster-smuggler nexus, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has apprehended Vikramjeet Singh, alias Vikram Brar, a prominent associate of notorious jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.
The arrest took place right after Vikram Brar's deportation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to India. The NIA had dispatched a team to the UAE to facilitate the deportation and bring him back to India. As per the National Investigation Agency, Vikranjeet Singh, alias Vikram Brar, was allegedly involved in the sensational killing of famous Punjabi Singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, alias Sidhu Moosewala.
Lawrence Bishnoi
Besides the targeted killings of innocent people and businessmen, he was allegedly involved in cases of smuggling of weapons and extortion in India with the help of dreaded gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar and others, said the NIA in its statement.
Absconding since 2020, Brar was wanted in at least 11 cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion under various sections of the IPC as well as the Arms Act. At least 11 look out notices had been issued against him by the competent authority on request by various state police, including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.
Vikram Brar was operating as a 'communications control room' (CCR) for the Lawrence Bishnoi terror gang from the UAE. This CCR was also facilitating calls of Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar (based in Canada) and further upon their directions, he allegedly used to make extortion calls to various people.
Brar's CCR also enabled calls of main gang leaders with the operatives/ members. An open-dated non bailable warrant of arrest (NBWA) had been issued by the NIA Special Court, Delhi. A look out circular (LOC) was also issued in the name of the accused, who was chargesheeted on March 24, 2022, in NIA case, along with other 13 co-accused.
In 2020-2022, according to NIA investigations, Vikramjeet Singh, alias Vikram Brar, had allegedly helped Goldy Brar in executing the killing of Moosewala. Lawrence Bishnoi had also reportedly sent extorted money many times to Brar through hawala channels. Brar had also allegedly demanded extortion money from a doctor in Kurukshetra (Haryana) and also threatened him.
Before becoming a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, Vikram Brar was associated with Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) in Panjab University. Along with other associates, he actively participated in various crimes such as murder, attempt to murder and extortions etc. He had been assisting/facilitating the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in targetted killings extortions in Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab. He was also providing logistic support to the gang members.
The NIA has so far arrested 16 persons in the terror-gangster conspiracy case. Further investigations into the conspiracy are continuing as part of NIA's efforts to destroy the growing nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers, and to dismantle their infrastructure, including funding channels.
In the recent months, the NIA has been successful at getting five 'wanted' absconders, either deported or extradited to India, due to the close coordination with central intelligence agencies and persistent follow-up with the authorities concerned in the foreign countries.
Bikramjit Singh, alias Bikkar Panjwar, alias Bikkar Baba, mastermind of the Tarn Taran bomb blasts, was successfully extradited from Austria in December 2022. This was the first extradition case of its kind from a western country. Prior to this, the only other extradition since the setting-up of the NIA, was that of Wuthikorn Naruenartwanich, alias Willy, in December 2015 from Thailand. The other four deported accused were wanted for commission of serious and sensational crimes, such as the Ludhiana Court Complex blast case etc.
They included Kulwinderjit Singh, alias Khanpuria of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Malaysia and Parminder Pal Singh, alias Bobby, and Aboobacker Haji.
- With inputs from our correspondent
