Chandigarh: Punjab Police has taken a big step after being named in an international gang case in America. SHO Gurinderjit Singh Nagra of Tanda police station has been sent to Police Lines. He is accused of helping the gang of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and playing a role in extorting money from a family.
FBI video went viral, investigation started
This matter came to light under ‘Operation Hard Ball’ which started in America this week. This is a multinational investigation targeting three major organized gangs involved in murder, extortion and drug trafficking in the US, Canada and Europe. A video of FBI’s media briefing went viral on social media.
In this, officials claimed that Nagra helped the Bhagwanpuria gang in recovering $4 lakh i.e. about Rs 3.3 crore from a family in Los Angeles. It is alleged that a threat was given that if the money was not given, his relatives in India would be implicated in a false murder case. As soon as the video surfaced, Hoshiarpur SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik removed Nagra from the post of SHO as a precautionary measure and attached him to Police Lines.
SSP’s statement: No official information yet
The SSP said that till now no official letter or confirmation has been received from the Central Government or the Punjab Government regarding the FBI’s allegations. Nevertheless, considering the seriousness of the matter, investigation has been started.
SP of Jalandhar Range has been entrusted with the investigation of this matter. Police say that the truth will come out only after the investigation is completed and further action will be taken on the basis of the report.
What allegations did America make?
According to US prosecutors, Bhagwanpuria gang member Gurlal Singh had given Nagra information about a person living in LA. Nagra then allegedly contacted the man’s father and said that if the money was not paid, his son would be falsely implicated in a murder case.
There was also a threat that his name would be made public in the investigation. The charges against Nagra are part of a larger case filed against 37 people. All of them are accused of running 3 separate international crime gangs that are active in multiple countries.
What is Operation Hard Ball?
This operation is a joint operation of America, Canada and European agencies. Its purpose is to curb funding, extortion and violent crimes of gangs operating abroad. At present, Punjab Police has said that it is in touch with American agencies and will cooperate.
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