Pune Police Arrest Minor Allegedly Linked to Bishnoi Gang in Extortion-Firing Case

The Pune city police have apprehended a 17-year-old boy allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and arrested three others in connection with last month’s firing outside a businessman’s godown in Fursungi and an attempt to extort Rs 50 crore.

The businessman, a resident of Mohammadwadi in Hadapsar, told police that on June 22 at 4:29 pm, he received a WhatsApp call from a person identifying himself as Arzoo Bishnoi, an aide to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The caller demanded Rs 5 crore each from him and his nine business partners. A minute later, the businessman’s nephew received a similar extortion call from the same number.

Following a police officer’s instructions, the businessman called the WhatsApp number back around 7:27 pm but received no response. Around 8:05 pm, he was informed by his brother that four bullets had been fired at their godown on the Hadapsar-Saswad road. The businessman and his nephew received further extortion calls and threats at 9:30 pm, according to the FIR registered on June 23.

The police booked Arzoo Bishnoi for extortion and criminal intimidation, as well as under the Arms Act. The arrested accused were identified as Pavan Prakashram Barad, 24, of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan; Ravikumar Rajendrakumar Jangda, 33, of Sirsa in Haryana; and Satyaprakash Kaluram Shilora, 25, of Handewadi, Pune.

During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage near the godown and other locations. They also found that the accused used international numbers via a virtual private network (VPN) to make extortion calls. Multiple police teams were dispatched to Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana to trace the suspects.

Pavan Barad was arrested in Rajasthan on July 2. Following leads from him, Satyaprakash Shilora was arrested on July 4. Shilora reportedly worked at the businessman’s firm and provided information to Barad and Jangda, who allegedly fired the bullets. Jangda was arrested from Haryana, and the minor boy was apprehended from Rajasthan on July 7.

The police seized a countrymade pistol and 10 live cartridges from Jangda, and two countrymade pistols and 20 cartridges from the minor. Rajendra Mulik, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), said the minor is suspected to have links with Arzoo Bishnoi and is believed to have supplied the guns used in the firing.

The police said Barad and Jangda may have met Shilora while working at steel manufacturing plants in Pune. Shilora allegedly provided them with a two-wheeler used in the crime. Jangda is a history sheeter in Haryana. Police are also investigating whether the accused were involved in separate extortion calls demanding Rs 2 crore from a chemist in Wadki and a textile businessman in Uttam Nagar last month.