Amid India's diplomatic stand-off with Canada, the Punjab Police has launched a statewide crackdown on the accomplices of gangster Goldy Brar. An accused in the killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala, Brar is suspected to be hiding in Canada and has alleged links with Khalistani extremists.
Brar is an active member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and has at least 13 cases for offences like murder, attempt-to-murder and arms smuggling registered against him in India. He also has an Interpol red corner notice against him and is wanted by law enforcement authorities both in India and Canada.
The Punjab Police action comes a day after the National Investigation Agency intensified its investigation against Khalistani terrorists carrying out activities in India. The agency had announced a cash reward for information on five members of the terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), including Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias 'Rinda' and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias 'Landa'.
In the operation, which began on Thursday morning, the Punjab Police has begun rounding up many associates of Brar and the Bishnoi gang and other people who have dealings with them. Police officials said that it has often been seen that aides of Brar and Bishnoi, even when they are behind bars, entice young people accused of petty offences like drug peddling and try and push them into committing bigger crimes.
The officials said the gang's members and associates give these young people an ideological push and lure them with the promise of money to get them to carry out murders and targeted killings.
The operation is being undertaken in all 22 districts of the state and a detailed report on the detainees and the evidence gathered will be submitted to the police brass after it is completed. The crackdown is also aimed at cutting off the supply chain of drugs.
Worked As Trucker
Goldy Brar, alias Satinderjit Singh, is a native of Muktsar district in Punjab and became friends with Lawrence Bishnoi when they were both active in student politics in Chandigarh around ten years ago.
Brar moved to Canada on a student visa five years ago and worked as a trucker for a while. Earlier this year, the country had named him on its list of 25 most-wanted fugitives.
Singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead in his SUV near his village, Moosa, in Punjab's Mansa district on June 29. The next day, Brar had said in a Facebook post that he had planned the murder to avenge the killing of another gangster.
Diplomatic Row
Speaking in the Canadian parliament on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said his government had "credible allegations" linking the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June with the "agents of the Government of India".
The Indian government has rejected the allegation as "absurd and motivated".
Canada and India have both expelled a diplomat from the other country since the stand-off began. On Wednesday, India also issued a travel advisory for Canada, a day after the latter updated its own travel advisory for India.
Nijjar was the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force and was killed in Surrey in the Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18. Reports emerged on Thursday of another terrorist, Sukhdool Singh, being killed in inter-gang violence in Canada.
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