The NIA (National Investigation Agency) on Saturday, 6 January attached four properties owned by members of the Lawrence Bishnoi organised terror-crime syndicate in three states, an official said. This action is another major step towards demolishing the terrorist-gangster-drug smuggler nexus in the country, the spokesperson of the federal agency said.

The properties — three immovable and one movable — were attached in a coordinated action in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the official said.

The spokesperson said the NIA found that all these properties were “proceeds of terrorism” and used for hatching terror conspiracies and executing serious crimes. The attached properties include a flat at the Gomti Nagar Extension in Lucknow, which belonged to Vikas Singh, a harbourer of the terror gang in Uttar Pradesh.

Two other properties attached in the action are located in Bhishanpura village in Punjab’s Fazilka and these are owned by accused Dalip Kumar alias “Bhola” alias “Dalip Bishnoi”, the spokesperson said and added that an SUV, registered in the name of Joginder Singh of Yamunanagar in Haryana, was also seized.

Citing findings of investigations, the official said Vikas Singh is an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi who has harboured terrorists, including those involved in the rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Punjab Police headquarters in December 2022.

Joginder Singh, the father of gangster Kala Rana, a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, was facilitating the syndicate’s members by allowing them to use his SUV for transporting arms and ammunition for promoting terrorist acts, the official said.