The Kshatriya Karni Sena has put out a reward of ₹1,11,11,111 for the killing of Lawrence Bishnoi, an imprisoned gangster, in an encounter by any police officer. The Sena has accused Bishnoi and his gang of the murder after their former president, Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, was shot dead last December. The group’s national president, Raj Shekhawat, made the announcement in a video on X, formerly known as Twitter.
She said the outfit will give full protection and security for any officer and his family who accepts the challenge of taking on Bishnoi. This bold offer has captivated much attention, raising serious concerns over the endorsement of extra-judicial violence.
Lawrence Bishnoi is a notorious gangster, believed to have been connected with many popular murders. He was one of the prime accused in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in May 2022 and has recently been seen behind the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddiqui. Now, even though he is sitting in jail, the gang led by Bishnoi continues to hold significant influence and escalates the tension between criminals and vigilant groups like the Karni Sena.
An open call for an encounter has caused some alarm, because acts like these embolden individuals or groups to take the law into their hands and undermine the legal system. While the Kshatriya Karni Sena has often taken hardline positions on cultural and political issues, such open-and-shut support for extrajudicial killings gives this debate on crime, justice, and the role of law enforcement a new dimension in India.