A 27-year-old native of Tamil Nadu has been arrested in Keralam over his alleged links with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, with police suspecting that he photographed film stars in Mumbai and shared details of their movements with suspected gang members.
The accused, identified as Gurumoorthi, was arrested by a special team of Thrissur City Police from Ottapalam in Palakkad district. He was reportedly working at a milk booth under the jurisdiction of the local police station.
According to police sources, Gurumoorthi had earlier stayed at Bharath Khandivelly West in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, before moving to Ottapalam, where he had been working and staying for the past several months.
The case was registered at Thrissur East Police Station on November 12 following intelligence inputs that individuals allegedly linked to the Bishnoi gang were hiding in Kerala.
During the investigation, police reportedly found that Gurumoorthi had worked as a photographer in Mumbai, where he allegedly took photographs of film stars and monitored their movements.
The photographs and information about the movements of the celebrities were allegedly shared with Bishnoi gang members based abroad, police sources said.
In return, the gang members allegedly transferred money to his wife's bank account in Udumalpet, Tamil Nadu, officials said.
A court on 13 November granted police custody of Gurumoorthi. Investigators are planning to take him to Udumalpet as part of the probe and are also seeking details of his wife's bank account.
Police said detailed interrogation and evidence collection are necessary to establish his alleged involvement in criminal activities, including murder, attempted murder and extortion attempts linked to the Bishnoi gang across the country.
The case has been registered under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which deals with conspiracy, attempts or facilitation of terrorist acts.
The police have sought the assistance of the Kerala Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in the investigation. Information regarding Gurumoorthi's arrest will also be shared with central agencies, officials added.