Kolkata: Cops have launched a multi-agency probe after a businessman residing in an eleventh-floor apartment of a gated complex on Sarat Bose Road in Bhowanipore alleged that he received threats and an extortion demand of Rs 5 crore from members claiming to represent the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. According to sources, the complainant alleged that since June 30, the businessman has been getting repeated calls and voice notes on his phone from unknown international numbers.
The callers, identifying themselves as associates of jailed gangster Bishnoi, issued life threats targeting the businessman and his family and demanded Rs 5 crore in cash.
This marks the first instance of a Kolkata-based entrepreneur reporting direct extortion threats linked to the Bishnoi criminal network. Kolkata Police’s Lalbazar headquarters have roped in specialized units, including the Anti-Rowdy Squad (ARS) of the Detective Department and the Special Task Force (STF) — to track the origins of the international communication channels.
“Prima facie, we are not taking any chance. But we have not been able to link the calls to the actual gang yet. We are ascertaining if the victim is trying to ensure his own security using this plea,” an officer said. .
The incident highlights the city’s growing concern over the syndicate’s regional presence. The Mumbai Police crime branch had arrested a suspect, Dilip Chaudhary, from Kolkata in 2025 after he allegedly invoked the names of Bishnoi associates Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara to extort Rs 1 crore from comedian Kapil Sharma.
The Bishnoi syndicate, widely linked to high-profile murders like those of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala and politician Baba Siddique, remains under intense scrutiny.
In 2023, NIA charge-sheeted Bishnoi under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for maintaining links with Khalistani militant groups to procure illegal arms, financial support, and logistics for terror-linked criminal activities. Canadian authorities implicated Bishnoi associates in the 2023 killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, while US federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment in July 2026, alleging Bishnoi directed operations from inside Indian prison facilities, indicating plans to seek his extradition.
Investigating officers in Kolkata are currently probing whether local copycat criminals are exploiting the gang’s global notoriety to intimidate local business owners.