New Delhi: Delhi Police’s crime branch said Thursday that Deepak Khatri, the arrested member of Lawrence Bishnoi’s legal team, “operated beyond the professional boundaries” of a defence counsel, allegedly functioning as a crucial operational bridge, communication conduit and financial negotiator for his client’s criminal enterprise.According to special CP (crime) HGS Dhaliwal, what initially began in 2021 as standard legal assistance during Bishnoi’s police remand in Delhi rapidly evolved into an intricate operational partnership. “Introduced to Bishnoi through a mutual acquaintance, Khatri leveraged privileged legal access to establish regular contact with the syndicate’s top tier, expanding his network to key operatives such as Kala Rana, Kala Jathedi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria,” Dhaliwal said.Rather than restricting his presence to courtrooms, Khatri allegedly transformed into a vital communications hub, ferrying sensitive messages between incarcerated gang leaders and their active associates on the outside. His role as a central liaison deepened further following Anmol Bishnoi’s release on bail and subsequent escape abroad on a fraudulent passport, through which Khatri established links with fugitive gangster Goldy Brar to coordinate legal strategies and logistical support.Khatri’s public alignment with the syndicate — amplified by media footage showing him routinely appearing alongside Bishnoi during court hearings — granted him immense leverage across Delhi’s underworld, cops claimed. “As extortion calls and targeted shootings escalated against local bookies, builders, club owners and illegal call centre operators, victims began directly seeking Khatri out to broker truces,” said DCP (crime) Sanjeev Yadav.Taking advantage of the situation, Deepak Khatri allegedly became involved in facilitating settlements in such matters. In some threat calls/messages, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi himself directed the victim to contact Deepak Khatri for a settlement, police claimed. “In a 2023 case involving a Delhi businessman, Bishnoi directly instructed the victim to negotiate a Rs 2.5 crore settlement through Khatri,” Yadav added. Exploiting routine legal meetings inside prison facilities, Khatri allegedly negotiated financial settlements whenever threats were issued in Bishnoi’s name, DCP Yadav said.Beyond extortion, probe findings have tied Khatri to the broader logistical machinery of high-profile gang operations, including the procurement of firearms used in the high-profile murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala. “The weapons were allegedly arranged through key syndicate facilitators, including Sahabaaz Ansari, Salim Pistol and Hasim Baba, alongside syndicate associates Rubal and Noni who managed parallel betting channels,” Yadav added.Khatri, 45, arrested from the Delhi airport Wednesday, has been remanded to police custody. He is now being interrogated by a special team comprising ACP Sanjay Nagpal and inspectors Maan Singh and Sunder Gautam. Besides Khatri, 17 others have been arrested in the case and 32 sophisticated foreign-made arms and ammunition, including two submachine guns and 363 live cartridges, were recovered in this case.
