Alleged Bishnoi gang member among 4 held for arson & loot in West Champaran

Bettiah: An alleged Lawrence Bishnoi gang member, long known for his criminal trail across state borders, has once again surfaced at the centre of violence in West Champaran, where a farmhouse was stormed, looted and set ablaze before police arrested four accused on Saturday.

The vandalism and arson occurred at the farmhouse of Mohammad Zeeshan Zulfekar, a farmer, in Chiutaha village under Mainatand police station on Friday.


The arrested people were identified as alleged Lawrence Bishnoi gang member Shashank Pandey, Avinash Mishra, Hariraj Manjhi and Raghu Manjhi, all residents of Chiutaha village. Pandey was earlier arrested on Oct 22, 2023, from Raxaul in East Champaran on charges of being linked to the Bishnoi gang. On July 24, 2022, Haryana police arrested four criminals associated with the Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gangs in Ambala, including Pandey, and seized three illegal firearms and 24 cartridges.

According to the FIR filed by the victim, around 200 people armed with sharp weapons entered his farmhouse around 11am on Friday. “They broke down the walls, looted cattle, wheat and paddy and subsequently set the farmhouse on fire. These attackers were led by Pandey, a henchman of the Bishnoi gang. He pointed a gun at me and demanded that I transfer the ownership of the farmhouse to him as extortion. During the attack, when my neighbour tried to intervene, Pandey pointed a gun at her head as well. Another accused, Avinash Mishra, hit her with a rod, causing her injuries. The attackers also looted jewellery and other valuables from their house,” Zulfekar alleged.

Narkatiaganj SDPO Jayprakash Singh said on Sunday that a case was registered against 17 known and 100-200 unknown people at Mainatand police station, based on the complaint filed by Zulfiqar. Following the investigation, police arrested four accused and sent them to judicial custody for allegedly vandalising and damaging the victim’s house, setting it on fire and stealing belongings. “Pandey already has several other cases registered against him,” the SDPO added.


(Reporting by Dilip Kumar)

Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here