A series of shootings over the past seven months, including an attack outside a money-exchange office in Panipat in March, gunfire near a singer’s gym in Delhi in June and the shooting targeting Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai on October 18, have been linked to claims made in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. One name that has repeatedly surfaced in connection with these incidents is Anil Pandit, an alleged member of the transnational gang.
Following the shooting involving Tiger Shroff, an audio recording emerged in which a man claiming to be Pandit warned Bollywood celebrities against working with actor Salman Khan.
“Sabka number aayega,” the man said, meaning “Everyone’s turn will come”, in a threat directed at celebrities.
Pandit, who is believed to be operating from the United States, first came into focus in March after a social media post attributed to him and another alleged gang member claimed responsibility for a shooting in Panipat and threatened rapper Badshah. In June, another purported post bearing Pandit’s name claimed responsibility for gunfire outside Punjabi singer Guru Randhawa’s gym in Delhi. Investigators subsequently linked four suspects arrested in the gym shooting to Pandit, who is allegedly associated with the Bishnoi gang.
Pandit has now claimed responsibility for the October 18 shooting targeting Tiger Shroff in Mumbai’s Juhu area. The actor escaped without gunshot injuries, although his driver was hurt. The incident prompted a major police investigation.
The latest attack has again drawn attention to the alleged US-based operative and his suspected connections with the Bishnoi gang. Previous police investigations have reportedly linked his name not only to online threats but also to cases involving hired shooters, illegal firearms and money allegedly transferred from abroad to facilitate attacks in India.
WHO IS ANIL PANDIT?
Anil Pandit is an alleged overseas operative of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang who is believed to be based in the United States. His name has appeared alongside those of other suspected gang members, including Randeep Malik, Harry Boxer and Harman Sandhu, in online claims of responsibility and police investigations into shootings in India.
Police have linked suspects arrested in connection with the June attack on Guru Randhawa’s gym to Pandit. However, his exact position within the gang, current location and role in the latest Mumbai shooting have not been conclusively established.
After the attack on Tiger Shroff, an online message posted by an account named “Anil Pandit Anmol Bishnoi” claimed responsibility for the shooting. The account was later deleted. An audio recording attributed to Pandit also surfaced. Mumbai Police are investigating the incident and verifying the authenticity of these claims.
MARCH 14 FIRING IN PANIPAT AND THREAT TO BADSHAH
The first major incident this year connecting Pandit’s name with a celebrity threat occurred on March 14, 2026. Three men riding a motorcycle fired seven rounds at Haast Forex, a money-exchange office on Assandh Road in Haryana’s Panipat. According to The Tribune, three people, including a woman, were inside the establishment at the time.
Later that evening, a social media post attributed to Randeep Malik and Anil Pandit, both described as being based in the US, claimed responsibility for the shooting.
The message alleged that the money-exchange business was involved in illegal hawala transactions and warned that further attacks could follow.
It also threatened rapper Badshah, accusing him of harming Haryana’s culture. A report published on March 15 said the message referred to a 2024 incident at a Chandigarh club, where members of the Bishnoi gang had allegedly attempted to intimidate the rapper. The post claimed Badshah had previously been warned but had not taken the threat seriously.
The shooting itself targeted the money-exchange office in Panipat, not Badshah.
The investigation eventually resulted in four arrests. On March 29, The Tribune reported that police had arrested Pranjal, a resident of Rathdhana village in Sonipat district, for allegedly facilitating communication between the shooters and their overseas handlers.
Inspector Phool Kumar, who heads Panipat Police’s CIA-1 unit, told the newspaper that investigators found the overseas handlers had promised money to the accused. They allegedly transferred Rs 65,000 into the bank account of one suspect, Sandeep.
Three other accused—Sandeep, Krishan alias Kaku and Kunal—had been arrested earlier, on March 21.
JUNE 11 SHOOTING AT GURU RANDHAWA’S GYM
Almost three months later, on June 11, two masked men riding a motorcycle fired seven rounds at 24 HS Fitness, a gym associated with Punjabi singer Guru Randhawa in Delhi’s Paschim Vihar. The gunfire shattered glass panes, but nobody was injured.
A purported Facebook post attributed to Anil Pandit subsequently claimed responsibility. It alleged that Randhawa had ignored warnings to distance himself from Salman Khan.
The Indian Express reported that an audio recording attributed to Pandit contained the threat: “This is just the trailer. We will kill him soon.”
Delhi Police later arrested four suspects: Arman, Tushar, Sagar and Haqeeqat. Sagar and Haqeeqat were arrested after a police encounter on June 25.
Investigators alleged that the four had acted on instructions from Pandit and Harry Boxer, another suspected Bishnoi gang operative believed to be based overseas. Police also recovered a Pakistan-made TT-30-style pistol from one of the accused.
An investigation published by The Indian Express on July 7 reported that the accused had allegedly obtained foreign-made firearms on June 10, a day before the gym shooting. The same network was also linked to the killing of gym trainer Kapil Redhu in Haryana’s Hansi on June 11.
Police said the suspects had communicated with overseas handlers through encrypted messaging platforms, including Signal and Zangi.
Signal, developed by the US-based non-profit Signal Foundation, offers end-to-end encrypted messages and calls and is used by journalists, activists, privacy-conscious individuals and others worldwide. Zangi, developed by an Armenian-founded company, is another privacy-focused messaging and calling service known for encryption, low-bandwidth communication and limited data collection. It is used in several regions, including the Middle East and South Asia.
JULY 12 EXTORTION PLOT AND FIREARMS SUPPLY
Pandit’s alleged activities have extended beyond threats involving celebrities. On July 12, Delhi Police announced the arrest of three suspected members of a Bishnoi-linked network accused of plotting to extort businessmen and carry out targeted killings in Delhi-NCR.
The investigation began after a Rohini-based businessman complained on March 8 that he had received threatening calls from overseas numbers demanding Rs 1 crore.
The three arrested men were identified as Shiv Govind, Abhinav alias Akash Singh and Vivek. Police recovered three pistols, including a Beretta, along with 26 live cartridges.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Shashank Jaiswal said investigators had recovered reconnaissance material containing details of residences and jewellery shops allegedly surveyed as potential targets. Police identified Pandit as the suspected supplier of illegal firearms and alleged that he operated under Harry Boxer’s instructions.
One of the accused, Abhinav, had previously been arrested in connection with the 2024 murder of Delhi gym owner Nadir Shah.
SEPTEMBER 17 FIRING AT DILER KHARKIYA’S CAR
On September 17, a motorcycle-borne attacker fired at a Range Rover belonging to Haryanvi singer Diler Kharkiya outside his farmhouse near Kharak village in Bhiwani district. Kharkiya was not present when the shooting took place.
The Tribune reported on September 18 that investigators were examining a possible connection between the incident and Pandit’s network. A social media post carrying his name subsequently claimed responsibility.
Police arrested Rohit alias Budha following an encounter in Sonipat on October 3. According to The Tribune’s report the following day, Rohit was wanted in connection with the Kharkiya shooting and other criminal cases.
Pandit’s name has thus surfaced in connection with a series of shootings and threats from Panipat to Delhi and Mumbai over the past seven months. The incidents have involved targets ranging from a money-exchange office to prominent figures in the entertainment industry.
Police investigations have pointed to a suspected network of local shooters allegedly receiving instructions, weapons and funds from handlers operating abroad, including Pandit.
The shooting targeting Tiger Shroff has renewed questions about how alleged gang operatives based thousands of kilometres away continue to issue threats and potentially coordinate violent attacks on Indian soil.
