28-year-old man suspected to be Bishnoi gang's henchman arrested in Keralam

Kerala Police have arrested a 28-year-old man in Palakkad district over his suspected links with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The accused has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) following intelligence inputs about the presence of people allegedly associated with the gang in the state.

The accused, identified as Gurumoorthi, is a native of Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, and has roots in Tamil Nadu. He was working at a milk booth within the jurisdiction of the Ottapalam police station in Palakkad district.

A special team of Thrissur City Police arrested him from his rented accommodation in the Ottapalam area at around 11 pm on Thursday. He had been living and working in the area for the past several months and had reportedly been in Kerala for around three to four years. He had also previously worked in Mumbai.

According to police, the Thrissur East police station registered a case on Thursday following intelligence inputs that people linked to the Bishnoi gang were hiding in Kerala. The gang is involved in several murder and extortion cases and poses a threat to national security, police said.

The cyber division had been monitoring individuals suspected of having links with the gang for the past few weeks. During the investigation, police found that Gurumoorthi had been communicating with a handler through Telegram. The handler is suspected to be associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

Police suspect that Gurumoorthi may have been working as a henchman for the gang. However, investigators are yet to establish whether he was directly associated with the Bishnoi gang, part of its extended network or merely inspired by its activities.

Police have also found similarities between this incident and the synagogue case. Investigators are examining the possible connections as part of the wider probe.

The case has been registered under Section 18 of the UAPA, which deals with conspiracy, attempts or facilitation of terrorist acts.

Gurumoorthi was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody. Police will approach the court seeking his custody for detailed interrogation. Officials said they needed to question him further to establish the nature and extent of his links with the gang.

His mobile phone will also be examined as part of the investigation.

Thrissur City Police have sought the assistance of the Kerala Anti-Terrorist Squad in the probe. Police will also share information about the arrest with central agencies, officials said.- Ends