+
 
For the best experience, open
m.thewire.in
on your mobile browser or Download our App.

Watch | How Gangsters Became ‘Cool’: India's Latest Online Radicalisation Story

For many, he's a hero – the modern version of Bhagat Singh. The alarming trend is that Bishnoi is not the only gangster who's attracting young men towards crime. There are many more.
Support Free & Independent Journalism

Good morning, we need your help!

Since 2015, The Wire has fearlessly delivered independent journalism, holding truth to power.

Despite lawsuits and intimidation tactics, we persist with your support. Contribute as little as ₹ 200 a month and become a champion of free press in India.

Step into the world of Lawrence Bishnoi, the gangster whose name has become synonymous with fear across India today.

How and why did Lawrence become the mastermind of one of India’s most dangerous gangs? What does his rise mean for India’s future? How can law enforcement keep up with criminals who have mastered the art of working within the system? How does the public react when gangsters like Bishnoi become larger-than-life figures? Is social media making gangsters cool? Is he alone or are there many more like him?

Over the past decade, Lawrence Bishnoi cultivated a network of violence, extortion, and blackmail that stretched far beyond the borders of Punjab. His rise to power isn’t just about brute force – it’s about how deeply he’s embedded himself within the very systems that are supposed to control crime. From threatening Bollywood stars like Salman Khan to his name being propped up in the India Canada diplomatic war, Bishnoi’s influence reaches into almost every corner of India’s new generation underworld.

But the story doesn’t end with crime. Bishnoi’s rise signals something far more alarming: the deep entanglement of crime, politics, and celebrity culture in India. Bishnoi’s story is a chilling look at how organised crime thrives in the shadows of politics and Bollywood but all this threat is just the tip of the iceberg. Bishnoi isn’t just a gangster anymore – he represents the evolving face of organised crime, one that operates with impunity and uses modern tools to evade the long arm of the law.

For many, he’s a hero – the modern version of Bhagat Singh. The alarming trend is that Bishnoi is not the only gangster who’s attracting young men towards crime. There are many more. Influencers are making quick money by making gangsters cool. And young men are losing their lives by falling into this trap.

Stay with us as we unpack this story.

Make a contribution to Independent Journalism
facebook twitter