Gorakhpur. The Special Task Force’s investigation into a suspected arms‑smuggling ring allegedly tied to Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara has now broadened to include local contacts in Gorakhpur. A total of 31 persons have been officially listed as accused in the case, among them an aide of a regional politician and the son of a police sub‑inspector. Investigators are currently analysing mobile‑phone records, social‑media footprints and personal contacts of those already in custody.
Authorities are working to verify the identities of the local intermediaries identified so far. Police aim to establish what conversations took place between these individuals and the primary suspects, and whether they played any role in the alleged weapons network. In a related move, Gorakhpur police briefly detained the brother of a student leader for questioning, but he was subsequently released.
One of the named accused is reported to be a close associate of a politician from the Sahjanwa area, while another’s father serves as a sub‑inspector in the Uttar Pradesh police force. Following the registration of the case at Cantt Police Station, raids are being conducted to locate the remaining fugitives, with mobile numbers and social‑media activity under close scrutiny.
The STF is now focusing on pinpointing local operatives who may have facilitated the distribution of firearms brought into Gorakhpur and the wider Purvanchal region from other states. Phone numbers and online contacts retrieved from the arrested suspects’ devices are being cross‑checked against known networks.
Five Accused Apprehended on Monday Night
On Monday night, STF officers detained Shreyansh Yadav alias Bablu, Ajit Yadav, Abhishek Gaud alias Bheli, Abhishek Prajapati alias Abhi, and Rahul Gupta near Vindhyavasini Park. During interrogation, investigators disclosed an additional 26 names, bringing the total list of accused to 31. While five individuals have been taken into custody, the remaining 26 are still at large.
More than ten STF teams are sweeping through Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, as well as the districts of Gorakhpur, Kushinagar and Maharajganj, in a coordinated effort to arrest the fugitives. Shashank Pandey, a resident of Bihar, is considered a pivotal link in the investigation.
The probe has also revealed the involvement of Suraj Yadav, a PAC employee from Bansgaon, and his associate Pramod Yadav. According to STF officials, the duo allegedly procured weapons from the same network as part of a plot to eliminate a young man. Police are now searching for the firearms and tracing the contacts linked to them. Both men are believed to have gone underground after learning of the police operation.
STF officers have also reached Shashank Pandey’s ancestral village in an attempt to locate him. Contacts he forged while operating in Gorakhpur are under investigation, as earlier inquiries hinted at his connection to an arms network allegedly linked to the Bishnoi gang.
