NIA conducts raids at 60 locations linked to 'terror gangs' in Sidhu Moose Wala's murder

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids at 60 locations in Delhi, National Capital Region (NCR), Haryana and Punjab against suspected `terror gangs` linked to the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala on Monday. Premises belonging to gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Kala Jathedi, Bambaiya and Kaushal Chaudhary were searched in connection with the latest cases lodged against them."These gang members have links to the killing of Sidhu Moose Wala",  a top government official was quoted as saying by ANI.

The NIA officials were tight-lipped when contacted. The NIA had been mulling action against big gangsters like Bishnoi, Kapil Sangwan and Neeraj Bawana and their aides. The Union Home Ministry had asked the NIA to uproot their entire network as they were involved in targeted killings and were acting like terrorists.

Singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead on May 29 by unidentified assailants in Punjab`s Mansa district, a day after the state government curtailed his security cover. The roles of gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, who came to the fore as the mastermind behind the killing of the singer; Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, a close aide of Bishnoi, are on NIA`s radar along with other gangsters in the case. 

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Recently, the NIA prepared a dossier and took permission from the home ministry to initiate action against these gangs. The gangsters of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were on the radar of the NIA since then. "They are involved in target killings and are persuading the youths to join their gangs," an NIA source said while quoting the dossier.

The NIA had planned to uproot the entire networks of the NCR-based gangsters. There were names of around ten to twelve gangsters in the NIA list against whom action was decided.

Earlier, the Special Cell and state police were looking after their cases to uproot them. Now the NIA has started looking into these cases. Neeraj Bawana and Lawrence Bishnoi are arch rivals in the crime world. After the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Singh Moosewala, Bawana had said that they would retaliate.

(With agency inputs)