The life Lawrence Bishnoi leads in jail and the irony of his Sabarmati connection

Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail has housed the ganglord, whom his friends call 'Milky', since August 28, 2023.
Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail where Lawrence Bishnoi is held
Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail where Lawrence Bishnoi is held
Updated on
4 min read

A great irony, it certainly is.

Just a little over three kilometres -- 3.3 kilometres, to be exact -- from the Ashram where the greatest Indian of modern times (Mahatma Gandhi) lived stays India's new king of the underworld.

Lawrence Bishnoi's name has sprung up not just in the murder of Sidhu Moosewala and the Mumbai-based Nationalist Congress Party politician Baba Siddique, but lately also for being the possible 'hired gun whose gang executed Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada at the behest of the Indian government'. That last accusation -- an as-explosive-as-it gets one -- was made by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail where Lawrence Bishnoi is held
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Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail has housed the ganglord, whom his friends call 'Milky', since August 28, 2023.

This followed his arrest on August 23, 2023 by the Gujarat Police in a Rs 195-crore cross-border drug smuggling bust that led to him being remanded in custody.

Since then, he has remained in the safe confines of the jail. Even the Mumbai Police's repeated attempts from June 2024 to gain his custody has only stumbled into legal roadblocks. Standing in their way has been Section 268(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) -- the section that restricts the transfer of prisoners without the state government's approval.

So, what kind of a life does the man who is said to run his headline-grabbing crime empire from jail lead in Sabarmati?

Sources reveal that the Sabarmati Central Jail is divided into two sections: the Old Jail, which houses inmates who have been involved in serious crimes, and the New Jail, set aside for those guilty of lesser offenses.

Lawrence Bishnoi can naturally be found in the Old Jail. This section includes seven wards, including the Chota Chakkar (Barrack No 4) and a High Security Zone, designed for high-risk prisoners like Bishnoi. His confinement in the Old Jail ensures strict surveillance and tight security.

According to sources, Bishnoi is being held in complete isolation from other inmates.

His day begins at 5am. Highly religious, Bishnoi devotes an hour to morning prayers followed by his exercise regimen.

His diet mainly consists of vegetables and fruits. He is served breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner, which he insists on having before 9 pm.

Bishnoi, who fasted during Navratri, reportedly observes two days of silence (Maun) each week.

Security around Bishnoi is said to be extreme. Even regular jail officers are not permitted to meet him, with a special team of officers assigned to oversee his security.

Despite being housed in a barrack that can accommodate 40 to 50 inmates, Bishnoi is kept alone, and the area is under constant CCTV surveillance.

More than 10 personnel from the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the National Intelligence Agency are stationed to ensure there is no breach in security.

Bishnoi is not allowed to leave his barrack and receives any necessary items through a coupon system.

Be that as it may, sources reveal that it hasn't stopped Bishnoi from indulging his penchant for luxury -- a trait that has always defined him.

His family continues to spend up to Rs 35-40 lakh a year, according to his cousin Ramesh Bishnoi, to support his lifestyle reflecting his enduring taste for expensive clothing and footwear.

Combine that with the ease with which he is supposedly able to communicate with his gang now spread across North India, Canada, the US, UK, the UAE and other parts of the globe and questions begin to emerge about his life in jail.

And then there is the small matter of that now famous or infamous name of his.

Turns out the man who has brought back Sabarmati to the news now wasn't born with the name that is now making waves even in faraway shores.

50-year-old Ramesh also recently shared that Lawrence's real name was originally Balkaran Bishnoi.

It was when Balkaran was at school that his mother Sunita had a change of mind and decided to name her "exceptionally fair, nearly pinkish complexioned" son after the British educationist and army officer Henry Lawrence.

What's in a name, the bard might well have asked. But isn't there a world of difference between Balkaran Bishnoi and Lawrence Bishnoi, the 31-year-old now being namedropped even by pinkish-complexioned PMs for votes or otherwise?

Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail where Lawrence Bishnoi is held
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Timeline of Lawrence Bishnoi's transfer to Sabarmati jail

September 15, 2022: A case was filed against Lawrence Bishnoi under the NDPS Act in Nalia,Kutch, Gujarat.

April 24, 2023: For the first time, Bishnoi was produced in Nalia Court, brought from Tihar Jail.

August 24, 2023: Transferred to Nalia Court from Bathinda Jail, Punjab.

August 28, 2023: Bishnoi was moved to Gujarat's Sabarmati Jail, where he remains in custody.

Investigation Findings: ATS revealed that wanted Pakistani nationals Abdulla and Jameel Ahmed were involved in smuggling drugs from Gujarat, linked to the case against Bishnoi.

How Lawrence Bishnoi ended up in Gujarat

Lawrence Bishnoi was brought to Gujarat in connection with a 2022 drug smuggling case after the Gujarat ATS, in collaboration with the Indian Coast Guard, intercepted a Pakistani boat near Jakhau port in Kutch district.

The operation led to the seizure of 40 kilograms of drugs worth over Rs 194 crore. During the investigation, the ATS uncovered evidence linking Bishnoi to the drug trafficking network. The ATS had already arrested several individuals, including Mohammad Shafi, Imran, Mohsin, Zahoor, Sohail, and Kamran, who revealed that the drugs were smuggled by Pakistani drug mafia member Abdullah from Balochistan.

The drugs were to be transferred at sea to a boat with the call sign "Jumma" off the Jakhau coast. Further interrogation revealed that Bishnoi had ordered the drugs, leading to his arrest via transfer warrant. The case is currently being tried in the Nalia Court of Kutch district.

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