CHANDIGARH: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to extortion and the law and order situation in Punjab, the State police arrested the suspended Station House Officer of Tanda police station Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, after he was named in a US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indictment.
The FBI has alleged that Nagra, acting at the behest of jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, attempted to extort $400,000 from a US-based family by threatening to implicate its members in a false murder case in India.
Nagra was arrested in connection with FIR No 20, registered at Tanda Police Station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Corruption Act. He had earlier been transferred to the police lines pending an inquiry.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jalandhar Range) Naveen Singla said Nagra was immediately relieved of his duties as SHO after media reports about the FBI indictment. He said the investigation into the murder case was handed over to an IPS officer posted outside Hoshiarpur district.
"Further the investigation of the murder case was entrusted to an IPS officer posted outside Hoshiarpur district. The investigation conducted so far has revealed that Nagra is found to be involved in extorting and accepting Rs 16 lakh as illegal gratification from the US-based family. During the investigation, sufficient evidence has come on record linking with demand, extortion, and illegal gratification from a US based family,’’ he said.
"After the collection of sufficient evidence, Inspector Gurinderjit Nagra has been nominated as an accused in FIR no. 20 dated January 16 at Police station, Tanda, Hoshiarpur under sections 7, 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 308 of BNS. Subsequently, he has been arrested yesterday and will be produced before the respective jurisdictional court today and police remand will be taken to further unravel the entire conspiracy, ‘‘ Singla added.
"Nagra has been placed under suspension and appropriate departmental proceedings have been initiated. The investigation is being conducted in a professional and meticulous manner based on technical analysis, financial trails, statements of witnesses and other corroborative material. The investigation is continuing and other relevant evidence is being collected. This action reflects the Punjab government’s unwavering commitment to zero tolerance policy against corruption and misconduct,’’ he said.
Earlier, First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli alleged that Gurinderjit Singh was part of an extortion conspiracy linked to the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria criminal syndicate.
"This indictment states that this gang of Bhagwanpuria partnered with corrupt police officials in India to falsely accuse enemies of crimes within India. One of the defendants, Gurinderjit Singh, is a police officer in India charged with attempting to extort victims here in Los Angeles by threatening to file false murder charges against them in India. They extorted a family for $400,000 until the victim actually agreed to pay money. We have charged him and we will extradite him to the US," he had said.
A 44-page federal indictment unsealed in Los Angeles under the FBI's Operation Hard Ball alleged that the Bhagwanpuria syndicate cultivated links with corrupt law enforcement officials in India to target rivals through fabricated criminal cases and extortion.
"To expand its power, this group corrupted law enforcement officers in India and partnered with corrupt government officials, including to assist in extortion schemes. It also provided false information to law enforcement officers in India regarding alleged crimes. The Bhagwanpuria group used this false information to target perceived rivals and individuals that members or associates believed were cooperating with law enforcement, often triggering baseless criminal proceedings and extortion plots by corrupt Indian law enforcement officers against perceived rivals," the indictment read.
The indictment also alleged the syndicate was involved in murder-for-hire, extortion, racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearms offences and kidnappings across India, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Nagra's arrest came a day after the FBI arrested India-linked gangster Nitish Kaushal alias "Lala", two days after placing him on its Most Wanted list for his alleged role in a Punjab-origin transnational organised crime syndicate.