Anil Pandit, who had no significant criminal record before leaving India in 2023, is now suspected of operating from California and helping the Lawrence Bishnoi gang coordinate extortion demands and attacks on celebrities and businessmen in India, Delhi Police said Monday.
Police said he's now wanted in more than 12 cases of extortion in Haryana.
Pandit, who's in his early 30s, has claimed responsibility on social media for firing at actor Tiger Shroff's car in Mumbai's Juhu on Sunday evening. The actor was inside the car when three assailants came in front of his car and fired at him.
Shroff escaped unhurt, but his driver and a fan, who was near the car, suffered bullet injuries. The actor rushed his driver to the hospital after the men fled on a bike.
Who is Anil Pandit?
According to the crime branch, Pandit, a resident of Rai Kalan village in Haryana’s Panipat district, left India around 2023 and had no significant criminal record. Police said that he has become involved in coordinating criminal activities from abroad since leaving the country
Pandit is alleged to be using threats and shootings to intimidate celebrities, artists and businessmen and demand protection money in the name of the Bishnoi gang.
According to police officers, Pandit primarily operates from California and is associated with other alleged syndicate members, including Harman Sandhu, Harry Boxer, Shubham Lonkar, and Randeep Malik. Investigators suspect that he helps coordinate extortion demands and attacks carried out by shooters in India.
After the Sunday incident, Pandit and his associate Harman Sandhu released audio messages and social media posts claiming responsibility for the attack and issuing warnings to members of the film industry against associating with certain people or defying the syndicate, police officers said.
Other cases
Pandit has also been linked by investigators to the June 2026 firing outside 24HS Fitness, a gym owned by Punjabi singer Guru Randhawa in Delhi’s West Delhi area. Gunmen opened fire outside the establishment, and Pandit allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack on social media.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch subsequently arrested the alleged shooters. Pandit is wanted in the case, and a non-bailable warrant has been obtained against him, police officers said. The case is being investigated by the Crime Branch’s NDR unit.
He has also been linked to a targeted shooting involving Haryanvi singer Diler Kharkia’s vehicle in Bhiwani, Haryana. Investigators suspect that the attack was intended as a warning after extortion demands or instructions were allegedly ignored. The alleged shooter was arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch in coordination with the Sonipat Special Task Force, according to police officers.
Apart from the attacks, Pandit is wanted in around 10 to 12 alleged extortion cases involving businessmen in Panipat, Sonipat and Karnal in Haryana, police officers said. The cases involve demands for money allegedly made in the name of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Investigators examining alleged role
Investigators are examining Pandit’s alleged role in coordinating these incidents from overseas, including the links between those claiming responsibility for attacks online and the shooters arrested in India.
Police officers suspect that the syndicate uses public claims of responsibility and threats against prominent personalities to create fear, pressure targets into paying extortion money, and reinforce the gang’s influence. Pandit’s alleged overseas role has made his arrest and extradition an important part of the investigation.