Patiala police have arrested a dismissed Indian Army sepoy and an alleged associate, recovering seven pistols and 23 live cartridges, in what officials described as the bust of a Lawrence Bishnoi gang module planning a targeted crime.
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) team intercepted Tejinder Singh, alias Fauji, 32, a resident of Daun Kalan village, and Rahul, alias Dana, 21, of Haridas Colony, Nabha, on Sadhu Bela Road on Monday, 28 September 2026. The operation formed part of Punjab Police’s “War on Gangsters” campaign. Police acted on specific information that the pair was carrying illegal weapons.
Officers recovered six .32-bore pistols with 19 live cartridges and one .30-bore pistol with four live cartridges. A case was registered under Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act at the Urban Estate police station. A local court remanded both accused to police custody on Tuesday.
Inspector Simarjit Singh Shergill led the raid under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (City) Mohit Kumar Aggarwal and Deputy Superintendent of Police (Detective) Gurveer Singh. Senior Superintendent of Police Harmandeep Singh Hans said investigators were examining the source of the weapons, communication links and the intended target.
Accused and alleged gang links
Police identified Tejinder Singh as a former sepoy of the Indian Army’s 152 Sikh Regiment who had been dismissed from service. He faces 10 cases involving murder, attempted murder, rioting and arms trafficking. He was named in the April 2022 killing of Dharminder Singh Bhinda, 30, president of a Daun Kalan-based kabaddi club. Bhinda was shot dead outside a petrol pump near Punjabi University, Patiala, while allegedly attempting to mediate a clash between student groups. Tejinder obtained bail in that case in May 2026.
Officials stated that Tejinder had communicated directly with foreign-based handlers of the Bishnoi network and coordinated with jailed criminals to procure weapons and plan attacks. Rahul, described as a daily-wage worker with no substantial prior criminal record, was allegedly recruited as a courier and logistical accomplice.
Investigators continue to question the accused to establish the full extent of the module, the origin of the firearms and any planned target. Police suspect the weapons were intended for use in targeted attacks directed from the overseas Bishnoi network.
The Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate, whose principal remains incarcerated, has been linked by law-enforcement agencies across several states to extortion, contract killings and illegal arms supply. Punjab Police have treated the Patiala recovery as part of a broader effort to disrupt such modules operating on the ground.
