Four, including 3 wanted in US for killing criminal Bishnoi aides, held

The arrested men have been identified as Raman Singh, a US green card holder, Lokesh Singh, Balraj alias Balram, and Ravinder Singh alias Ravi, all in their late-20s and residents of Mundri village in Kaithal district, police said.

Haryana Police’s Special Task Force (STF) has arrested four men, including three wanted in connection with the killing of close aides of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in the United States, officials said on Thursday.

Seized foreign pistols in police custody.

The arrested men have been identified as Raman Singh, a US green card holder, Lokesh Singh, Balraj alias Balram, and Ravinder Singh alias Ravi, all in their late-20s and residents of Mundri village in Kaithal district, police said.

Raman Singh and Lokesh Singh were arrested from Nissing in Karnal district on Saturday, while Balraj and Ravinder were arrested from Pundri in Kaithal on Wednesday, officials said.

Police recovered two Beretta pistols, one Zigana pistol, one 9mm pistol, eight live cartridges, and a bullet-proof Ford Endeavour bearing a Haryana registration number. The SUV had been purchased from Delhi around 10 days before Raman’s arrest, officials said.

Inspector General, special task force (STF) B Satheesh Balan said Raman was earlier associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi–Goldy Brar gang but later split and began working for fugitive gangster Rohit Godara from six months back.

“Raman hired two Afro-American shooters , including one identified as Will, and paid them $7,500 to murder gangster Harry Boxer, an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, on Godara’s directions,” Balan said.

The shooting took place on October 18 last year at AKS Truck Trailer Repair Shop in Fresno, California. Harry Boxer was injured, while his aide Banwari Godara was killed during the shooting, police said.

Balan said Raman, Balraj and Ravinder were present at the spot during the firing. Raman fled the US on October 20, flying from San Francisco to Mumbai, while Balraj and Ravinder returned to India on October 30, said officials.

Superintendent of Police (STF) Waseem Akram said Raman was also involved in the killing of Sunil Yadav alias Goliya, a childhood friend of Bishnoi, in Stockton, California, on December 23, 2024, along with Will’s cousin.

“They remained at large in the US after the murder. After the crime, they burnt the vehicle used and disposed of the weapons by throwing them into a river,” Akram said.

According to STF officials, they received a tip-off about a Godara gang member purchasing a bullet-proof Ford Endeavour from Delhi after returning to India following a nine-year stay in the US.

The information led to the arrest of Raman and Lokesh on January 10 while they were travelling in the SUV to a market from Nissing following which an FIR under sections 111(4) (being a member of an organised crime syndicate) and the Arms Act was registered at Nissing police station, police said, adding that Raman allegedly confessed to his role in both killings in the US and disclosed the involvement of Balraj and Ravinder.

A senior STF officer said Raman feared retaliation from the Bishnoi gang after the attack on Harry Boxer and he allegedly spent nearly ₹15 lakh on purchasing the bullet-proof SUV and weapons for his safety.

Police said Rohit Godara had promised ₹2 crore to Raman for killing Harry Boxer of which he had already received around ₹27 lakh, including $30,000 transferred to his Bank of America account in California, officials said.

After returning to India, Raman allegedly made extortion calls to businessmen in Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan. Incidents of firing at offices to intimidate victims over non-payment are being verified, said officials.

According to police, Raman travelled to the US in 2017 and destroyed his passport to seek asylum. He was jailed for nine months for illegal stay before being granted a green card in 2022.

Police said they have initiated the process of informing Interpol through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as the accused are wanted by US law enforcement agencies in connection with the two killings.