CHANDIGARH: Acting on intelligence shared by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police, security agencies in Madrid, Spain, have detained wanted foreign-based gangster Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon. He was named in the daylight murder of a pharmacy cashier in Sector 11, Chandigarh, had allegedly threatened AAP MLA Neena Mittal, and is also linked to several firing incidents in Canada.
Dhillon, who is wanted in multiple criminal cases, was taken into custody by Spanish authorities following a sustained international operation coordinated by Punjab Police, central intelligence agencies and Chandigarh Police. Officials had been tracking his movements abroad for a considerable period before his detention. Officials said Indian agencies were pursuing his deportation or extradition through diplomatic and legal channels, while formal confirmation from the Spanish authorities is still awaited.
He is wanted in the murder of Janaki Das, the cashier at Shri Kumar Medical Hall in Sector 11, Chandigarh. The incident took place on June 13, when Das was shot dead in a targeted attack that sent shockwaves across the city. In a separate case, operatives allegedly directed by Dhillon were moving into Chandigarh to receive a fresh target before being intercepted near Mullanpur with a foreign-made C47 pistol and a .32 bore pistol. Dhillon is also accused of issuing threats to AAP MLA Neena Mittal and has been linked to several firing incidents in Canada, according to investigators.
Dhillon, also known as "Goldi Rajpura", is a close associate of Canada-based gangster Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar, who has been designated a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The two are not the same person, a senior police officer clarified. However, Dhillon has been named as a co-conspirator alongside Brar in an NIA chargesheet related to an extortion-cum-firing case targeting a Sector 5 businessman in Chandigarh, in which both remain absconding.
According to investigators, Dhillon fled abroad in 2022 and subsequently strengthened his network across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi-NCR while operating from overseas. He allegedly ran multiple extortion and targeted killing modules across Punjab for over a year. In one instance, two operatives tasked by him to carry out targeted killings in Mohali and Rajpura were arrested with five pistols and a cache of intoxicant tablets.
In another incident, two youths allegedly recruited through social media opened fire on a house in Gaddo-Majra, Rajpura, injuring an elderly resident. Dhillon allegedly demanded ransom from the victim's US-based son after the attack. He had also sought to establish dominance over the illegal arms and narcotics trade in the state by eliminating rivals through intimidation and violence, using encrypted messaging applications such as Zangi and Signal to direct operatives while evading law enforcement, sources said.
Sources alleged that when business owners ignored calls from international numbers, Dhillon would send abusive voice messages and issue death threats. He reportedly boasted that he would continue carrying out crimes despite increased police security measures.
The key recruiter for Dhillon, Mandeep Sarpanch, has also been traced to Spain, from where the extortion network was allegedly being operated.
