Govt to Form Special Team as Bishnoi-Linked Extortion Cases Surface in Pune, Mumbai
Pune, 1st July 2026: The Maharashtra government will constitute a dedicated police team to tackle organised crime syndicates linked to Lawrence Bishnoi and Rohit Godara, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the Assembly on Tuesday, asserting that the gangs’ activities in the state have primarily surfaced in Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad.
Responding to a discussion on the recent spate of extortion-linked firing incidents, Fadnavis said investigations had exposed a common modus operandi. According to him, gang handlers based abroad allegedly make extortion calls through virtual private networks (VPNs) and deploy hired shooters—mostly from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar—to fire outside residences or commercial establishments if victims fail to comply with their demands.
“The aim is to spread fear, not necessarily to eliminate the target,” Fadnavis said. He added that while Anmol Bishnoi and Pravin Lonkar had been arrested, Arzoo Bishnoi and Shubham Lonkar were believed to be operating from outside the country.
Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar said the menace had expanded beyond businessmen, with public representatives and celebrities also receiving extortion threats. Citing the firing outside a furniture showroom in Punawale in May, allegedly after the owner refused to pay extortion money, he accused the Home Department of failing to rein in organised crime.
Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh urged the government to revive a specialised anti-gang unit similar to the one constituted in 2014. Accepting the proposal, Fadnavis said a dedicated team would be formed to crack down on the Bishnoi network.
Wadgaonsheri MLA Bapu Pathare expressed concern over a series of firing incidents targeting traders in Pune district, saying four to five such cases had been reported in the last two months.
Fadnavis said all those who carried out the firing incidents in Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad had been arrested and preliminary investigations indicated they were hired shooters. He said the police were invoking the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in such cases while working with central agencies to trace the gang leaders operating from abroad.
Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam said gang members frequently create temporary social media accounts to claim responsibility for firing incidents or issue threats before deleting them, with screenshots subsequently circulating online.
Kadam said Arzoo Bishnoi was believed to be in either the US or Canada, while the whereabouts of Shubham Lonkar were yet to be established. He added that the accused were suspected to be operating from countries that do not have extradition treaties with India, and the state was taking the help of central agencies to locate them.
