Karni Sena Bounty On Lawrence Bishnoi's Head: Change Of Heart Or Publicity Stunt?
Lawrence Bishnoi-the notorious gangster-is back in the limelight, this time not because of a crime that he has committed but because of the open bounty that has been put on his head by the Karni Sena. The hardline organization in the past has come out openly announcing a reward of over ₹1 crore for any policeman who could carry out an encounter with Lawrence Bishnoi. This raises serious questions of the lines between revenge and legal procedures, it most importantly throws a challenge on the questions of justice and law enforcement.
Lawrence Bishnoi's name is synonymous with organized crime and has given his gang a fearsome reputation across India. From being a notorious figure in Rajasthan to undertake hits, Lawrence Bishnoi's influence has exponentially expanded. What made the Karni Sena, known for its protests against Bollywood films, call for his encounter? The answer lies in a vendetta—a vendetta that began with the assassination of Sukhdev Singh Gogamadi, the former president of the Karni Sena.
In December 2023, the killing of Sukhdev Singh Gogamadi was the turning point. Two shooters from Lawrence Bishnoi's gang stormed Gogamadi's home and killed him brutally. Rohit Godara, a key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, took responsibility for the assassination. The reason? The Karni Sena has been accused of ignoring the face-to-face with another gangster by the name of Anandpal Singh besides charges of financial impropriety. This is a lesson the gang said Gogamadi had failed to learn from, and Lawrence Bishnoi says it is non-negotiable.
And all this attention has once again been trained on Lawrence Bishnoi, who is more than a criminal on the run. He is an A-list inmate, kept in a high-risk cell under tight security. Court appearances are heavily guarded, and the notion of an encounter is well-nigh impossible and reckless, too. The public declaration of the Karni Sena, however, set off a frenzy of vigilante justice, therefore.
This is a development that leaves one wondering whether the Karni Sena has violated all rules by effectively putting a price on a person in custody. Lawrence Bishnoi, after all, is entitled to due process. By calling for an extrajudicial execution, the Karni Sena undermines the very fabric of law and order. It is time for the state to intervene before these calls to violence become louder.
