Pune, 4th July 2026: Crime Branch has detained a suspected member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang from Rajasthan in connection with the firing at a steel warehouse office in Mantarwadi near Fursungi, where a businessman was allegedly threatened with a ₹5 crore extortion demand.
The detained suspect has been identified as Pawan Ram, a resident of Rajasthan. Police said he was traced and taken into custody from Hanumangarh district following an extensive investigation.
According to police, members of the Bishnoi gang had demanded ₹5 crore from a steel trader operating in Mantarwadi. To create fear and pressure the businessman into paying, unidentified assailants allegedly opened fire at the warehouse office on the night of June 18.
Following the incident, individuals claiming links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang reportedly took responsibility for the attack through social media posts, prompting Pune Crime Branch to launch a dedicated investigation.
During the investigation, Crime Branch officers recovered the motorcycle allegedly used in the crime from the Saswad area. Although its registration number had been completely erased, investigators identified the suspects through forensic examination, technical analysis and mobile phone location data.
Based on these leads, a Crime Branch team travelled to Rajasthan and detained Pawan Ram from Hanumangarh district.
Police said they have identified the second accused involved in the case and have dispatched teams to trace and arrest him. Further investigation is underway to establish the wider network behind the extortion attempt and firing incident.
