Punjab: Key operative of Lawrence Bishnoi gang held, two pistols recovered

Targeted killing in Kapurthala foiled with arrest of gangster Himanshu Sood of Phagwara, who was acting on Bishnoi aide Namit Sharma’s directions, says Punjab DGP

A targeted killing plot was foiled after a key operative of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Himanshu Sood, was arrested by the Jalandhar police’s counter-intelligence team, Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday.

The counter-intelligence team of Jalandhar police have arrested gangster Himanshu Sood of Phagwara, who was tasked with carrying out targeted killings, including one in Kapurthala, and recovered two pistols and ammunition from him. (X)

Sood, a resident of Phagwara in Kapurthala district, was allegedly acting on the directions of Dubai-based Namit Sharma, who is a close aide of Bishnoi, the DGP said.

Police have recovered two pistols (a .30-bore PX3 pistol with four cartridges and a .32 pistol with three cartridges) from him.

“Recently, Himanshu Sood along with his other gang members fired gunshots at a hotelier in Haridwar on the directions of Namit Sharma and was further tasked to eliminate two other targets in Madhya Pradesh and Kapurthala, respectively,” Yadav posted on X.

Backed by human intelligence and technical inputs, the Punjab Police team successfully dismantled this targeted killing module, averting a serious threat to public safety, he said.

An FIR was registered at the State Special Operation Cell police station in Amritsar.

Investigation is underway to identify other accomplices and establish forward and backward linkages.