New Delhi, Aug 20 : Sources within the Special Cell have claimed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has given the contract to kill Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to his brother and fellow gangster, Anmol Bishnoi.

Sources said that Lawrence Bishnoi had planned three attempts to eliminate Salman Khan, but each attempt failed. These three operations, designed by Bishnoi to kill Salman Khan, were led by gangsters Sampat Nehra, Deepak, and Tinu.

"The trio failed in their mission. Subsequently, Lawrence Bishnoi decided to assign the task of killing Salman Khan to someone else, opting for his brother Anmol to execute the operation," sources said.

The sources also revealed that Lawrence's gang has started using Germany-made PS 30 pistols instead of the Turkish-made Zigana pistols. These pistols are procured at prices between Rs 8 and 10 lakh and the gang is receiving these weapons from foreign-based associates.

"Ranjit Dupla, based in the USA, is in contact with members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Dupla was previously a Punjab-based gangster who fled to the USA and is now an international arms dealer. In 2017, Dupla was declared a proclaimed offender by the District Court of Faridkot in Punjab, in connection with an arms smuggling case," the official said.

Sources said that Dupla also faces charges of murder, kidnapping, attempted murder, dacoity, and contract killing. He was last apprehended in 2014, with a significant number of foreign weapons recovered from him, which he used to supply to Punjab-based gangsters.

Currently, agencies are working to repatriate him to India. The sources also mentioned that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is working to expand its network in Southern states, with Sampat Nehra recruiting young individuals into the gang.

"Kala Jathedi, Naresh Sethi, Rohit Mui, and Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu are openly providing full support to Lawrence Bishnoi. They are part of the Bishnoi syndicate," the source said.

A chargesheet filed against Anmol Bishnoi by the Delhi Police indicates that the gang also receives support from a London based criminal. This chargesheet was filed in connection with a shooting and extortion incident in Delhi's Sunlight Colony area.

The sources disclosed that Anmol Bishnoi recruited a neighbor of Lawrence Bishnoi, Akshay Bishnoi, into his gang. Akshay is considered the new face of the gang and was recently apprehended by the Hanumangarh Police in Rajasthan. The Delhi Crime Branch will also interrogate him regarding extortion matters in the upcoming weeks.

"Through social media, a resident of Gujarat named David joined Akshay's team to work for the Bishnoi network. Akshay's tasks include recruiting juveniles and providing logistical support to gang members," the sources said.

The sources said that they would inform the Mumbai Police regarding the new information related to Salman Khan.