Chandigarh, July 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Police on Saturday arrested Inspector Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, who has been named in a United States federal investigation alleging his involvement in an extortion racket linked to transnational organised crime syndicates.
Nagra, who was serving as the Station House Officer (SHO) of Tanda police station in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district before being shifted to Police Lines, was arrested after a departmental inquiry led to the registration of an FIR against him under charges of extortion and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The action follows allegations made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Justice under Operation Hard Ball, a multinational crackdown targeting organised crime networks allegedly operating across India, the United States, Canada and Europe.
Alleged $400,000 Extortion Demand
According to US investigators, Inspector Nagra allegedly conspired with members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang to extort $400,000 from an Indian-origin family based in California.
The case is linked to the murder of a hardware trader in Tanda, Hoshiarpur, who was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants on January 15, 2026.
While gangsters Jashal Chambal and Gurlal Rudiana had claimed responsibility for the killing, US authorities allege that Nagra threatened to falsely implicate members of the victim’s US-based relatives as co-conspirators in the murder unless they paid the demanded amount.
Relieved of Duties After US Indictment
Following the federal indictment in the United States, Punjab Police removed Nagra from his post and transferred him to Police Lines pending an internal investigation.
Subsequently, an FIR was registered late Friday after the inquiry reportedly found grounds to proceed against him.
Officer Earlier Part of Amritpal Singh Operation
Inspector Nagra had earlier served with the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, and was among the police officers involved in the 2023 operation leading to the arrest of Amritpal Singh, chief of Waris Punjab De and now Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib.
He had also travelled to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam to interrogate Amritpal Singh in connection with the Ajnala police station attack case.
Majithia Demands Wider Probe
Reacting to the arrest, senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that the action would not have been taken had the FBI not named the officer.
In a post on X, Majithia demanded a wider investigation, claiming that merely arresting the police officer would not be sufficient. He sought a detailed probe to identify all individuals allegedly connected with the purported extortion network and to determine whether any political links existed.
About Operation Hard Ball
Earlier this month, the US Department of Justice announced Operation Hard Ball, describing it as the outcome of a years-long investigation into Indian organised crime syndicates allegedly involved in racketeering, contract killings, extortion, narcotics trafficking and other transnational crimes.
According to US authorities, 37 accused have been charged in three separate indictments, while 24 arrests have been made across the United States, Canada and Europe. Authorities have also seized nearly 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin, cash and multiple firearms during the investigation.
The investigation remains ongoing in multiple countries.
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