Two wanted gangsters linked to Bishnoi gang detained in US, face deportation

Haryana Police STF says the duo ran extortion networks from abroad, with over 60 cases across states and extradition requests moving via CBI.

Two wanted gangsters allegedly operating criminal networks in Haryana, Punjab and Delhi-NCR have been detained by US authorities and are being held for deportation, officials of the Haryana Police Special Task Force (STF) said on Tuesday.

Investigators say the accused fled India using forged documents and directed shootings and extortion through local foot soldiers. (File photo)

The detained gangsters are Noni Rana, alias Surya Pratap, a resident of Yamunanagar, and Bhanu Rana, alias Bhanu Partap, a resident of Karnal, officials said. Both are associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and are wanted in over 60 criminal cases, including murder, extortion, attempted murder, firing incidents and illegal arms smuggling across multiple states, they added.

B Satheesh Balan, IG (STF), said the force received credible inputs confirming their detention in the US over the past two months. “We have recently sent the extradition request of Noni to the USA government officials via legal channels with the help of the Central Bureau of Investigation,” Balan said. He added, “We are in continuous touch with the officials in CBI and other agencies to get them deported as soon as possible. All the necessary steps are being taken to bring them back to India for facing the law.”

According to STF officials, both gangsters were operating from US soil and allegedly extorting money from businessmen and traders. Balan stated, “We arrested a large number of the suspects last year who were their foot soldiers in Haryana and were continuously involved in terrorising people at the duo’s direction for extortion money to be remitted to foreign soil.”

The IG said the deportation process could still take two to three months.

A senior STF official said Noni had fled India in January 2024 after obtaining a passport using forged documents. “We have already got his passport cancelled. He has 36 criminal cases of murder of traders and businessmen registered against him at various police stations of Haryana,” the official said. Noni’s name surfaced in investigations into firing incidents targeting traders coerced into paying crores in extortion.

Bhanu has at least 24 criminal cases registered against him, and his name cropped up in grenade attack incidents in Punjab in 2024 and 2025. “Only after being deported, it will be clear if Bhanu was only operating a criminal gang or was also linked to any banned terror organisation, looking at his possible involvement in blasts,” an STF official said.

Officials said preparations were underway to send Bhanu’s extradition request to the US authorities through legal channels.