- Lawrence Bishnoi gang uses data from GST and RERA for tech-driven extortion in Madhya Pradesh
- Rajpal Chandrawat leads Rs 10 crore extortion targeting Khargone cotton trader Dilip Rathore
- Gang recruits teenagers, uses Signal app for secure communication and threats
What begins on government portals is now ending in gunfire. In Madhya Pradesh, the dreaded Lawrence Bishnoi gang has engineered a chilling new-age extortion network where fear is no longer the primary weapon, data is. From GST and RERA databases to encrypted apps like Signal, this syndicate is running a tech-driven crime operation that is redefining how organised crime functions in India.
An exclusive NDTV investigation reveals that businessmen across the state are being systematically targeted for extortion demands ranging from Rs 5 crore to Rs 15 crore. This is not random crime it is a structured, intelligence-backed operation. First comes data mining, then target profiling, followed by threats and finally, violent enforcement if demands are not met.
At the centre of this web is Ujjain-based operative Rajpal Singh Chandrawat, now emerging as the key node in a Rs 10 crore extortion attempt targeting Khargone-based cotton trader Dilip Rathore. But investigators say Rajpal wasn't just collecting money he was trying to build a criminal-funded business empire.
"Rajpal wanted to become an entrepreneur, but he lacked capital. Extortion became his shortcut," a senior officer told NDTV.
Lawrene Bishnoi runs his criminal network from jail
Investigations reveal that Rajpal had already floated a company and was eyeing subcontracts from large corporates. However, his lack of a significant financial track record resulted in requests for substantial security deposits. That is when his alleged link-up with overseas handler Harry Boxer kicked in, bringing in a blueprint for identifying targets, issuing threats, and generating funds.
This network is no longer confined to Malwa. NDTV has learned that businessmen across Indore, Bhopal, Ashoknagar, Mhow, and even those linked to Mumbai and Gujarat networks were on the radar. A prominent coal trader in Indore was among those shortlisted. The pattern is now unmistakable identify, intimidate, extract.
But the most dangerous aspect of this operation lies in how targets are identified.
Investigators say gang operatives, many of them teenagers, school dropouts, and first-time offenders, were systematically scanning publicly available data on GST and RERA portals. Business turnover, project details, promoter profiles, financial footprints everything was weaponised.
"They knew everything family, employees, finances. That's what creates fear," an officer said.
The threats that followed were not generic they were deeply personal and precise. Calls were made via WhatsApp, voice notes, and increasingly through the highly secure Signal app, making them extremely difficult to trace. Investigators believe that Signal is being used by the gang's core layer and international handlers.
Harry Boxer, a US-based gangster.
Digital trails accessed by NDTV indicate money flowing into accounts linked to Rajpal from overseas, particularly the United States, raising strong suspicions about the active role of Harry Boxer, alias Hari Chand Jaat, believed to be operating from North America.
A major breakthrough came nearly ten days ago with the arrest of Pradeep Shukla from Morena, a key operative carrying a Rs 20,000 reward and facing multiple serious criminal cases. Now in SIT custody, Shukla is emerging as the critical bridge between foreign handlers and on-ground execution.
After the arrest of Pradeep Shukla, SIT Chief DIG Rahul Lodha said, "The SIT has taken over all cases linked to the Lawrence Gang in the state... We have achieved a major breakthrough... Pradeep Shukla has been arrested from Morena... Evidence confirms his direct links with the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang... He is a close associate of Harry Boxer and was responsible for arranging shooters... He was managing gang operations in Madhya Pradesh... We are interrogating him to unravel every link... Several accused, including Harry Boxer, are still absconding... The gang has threatened businessmen across Bhopal, Khargone, Indore and Ashoknagar with ransom demands running into crores."
The operational structure of the gang resembles a multi-layered global syndicate.
At the top sits Harry Boxer. Below him are handlers like Ritik Boxer, who, despite being lodged in a high-security jail in Ajmer, are allegedly continuing to coordinate operations. Then come mid-level operatives like Rajpal Chandrawat and Pradeep Shukla, acting as the link between global masterminds and local recruits.
At the bottom are the foot soldiers, teenagers recruited via Instagram, lured by the gang's flashy lifestyle.
One such recruit, 19-year-old Manish Jangid from Jaipur, was arrested before executing a petrol bomb attack in Ashoknagar. During interrogation, he revealed he had been trained through voice and video calls and was even taught how to make petrol bombs.
"They deliberately use minors. Easy bail, difficult to trace networks," a police officer said.
In Khargone, the conspiracy escalated into direct violence. Shooters arranged through Dewas-based criminals made three attempts to fire at Dilip Rathore's residence. On March 16, they succeeded. The very next day, a video of the firing was sent to the victim along with a Rs 10 crore demand.
So far, over 24 arrests have been made across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Yet, the scale of the network remains deeply unsettling. NDTV has learned that in just the past month, at least six extortion cases have surfaced across Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Mhow, Ashoknagar, and Khargone. Police admit many victims may have chosen silence and possibly paid up.
"This is not isolated. This is a structured racket," said an officer associated with the SIT probe.
The most alarming possibility? There may be multiple "Rajpals" operating across regions, local nodes feeding data into a global extortion machine.
As the STF and SIT deepen their probe, one reality is becoming impossible to ignore, This is no longer just a law-and-order issue.
It is a dangerous convergence of organised crime, digital intelligence, and international coordination. From GST databases to Signal chats, from Ujjain to North America, India's extortion economy has gone digital.
And the system is only just beginning to grasp how deep it runs.
