New Delhi:

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday declared a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each for sharing information that can help in arresting Canada-based terrorist Goldy Brar and another accused wanted in an “extortion and firing” case in Chandigarh.

The two accused are wanted in a case related to firing at the house of a businessman as part of an extortion bid on March 8 this year, said a statement issued by the probe agency.

The case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act against accused Satwinder Singh alias Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar, son of Shamsher Singh, a resident of Adesh Nagar, Sri Muktsar Sahib City, Punjab, and accused Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon alias Goldy Rajpura, son of Sukhjinder Singh of Baba Deep Singh Colony, Rajpura, Punjab, it said.

“The NIA on Wednesday spread its dragnet further in search of designated terrorist Goldy Brar and one other gangster wanted in a case of extortion and firing at the house of a businessman in Chandigarh with the declaration of a cash reward for their arrest,” the statement said.

The agency has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each for any information leading to the apprehension/arrest of either of the two men, it said, adding the “identity of the informant will be kept a secret”.

Information with regard to the duo can be shared at the NIA headquarters telephone number 011-24368800, WhatsApp/ Telegram: +91-8585931100 and through email ID: do.nia@gov.in Inputs can also be shared at telephone number: 0172-2682900, 2682901, WhatsApp/Telegram number: 7743002947 and email ID: info-chd.nia@gov.in of the probe agency’s Chandigarh branch office, the statement said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Despite being only 21 years old, Himanshu Bhau or “Chhota Don”  has already earned notoriety in the underworld, with his criminal activities attracting the attention of Interpol, which has issued a red corner notice against him. This gangster, originally from Ratauli village in Haryana’s Rohtak, has a presence in the Delhi-NCR region, while orchestrating violent crimes from abroad.

The most recent and shocking crime linked to Himanshu Bhau unfolded on Tuesday night at a Burger King outlet in Rajouri Garden in Delhi. Two shooters, reportedly in the age group of 25-30, unleashed a rain of bullets, firing 38 rounds from three different weapons. Their target was 26-year-old Aman Joon, whose body was found behind the billing counter. This brazen attack, carried out in a public place, has raised serious questions about the law and order situation in the national capital.

The Revenge Claim

Preliminary investigations suggest that the murder of Aman Joon was an act of revenge for a 2020 murder in Haryana. Himanshu Bhau, through a post on his new Instagram account, claimed responsibility for the attack. He alleged that Aman was involved in the killing of his associate, Shakti Dada, and promised retribution against all those involved. His message read, “The person killed in Rajouri Garden was involved in the murder of our brother Shakti Dada, and this was an act of revenge. All the other people involved in this will also be targeted soon.”

Rise Of Himanshu Bhau

Himanshu Bhau’s journey into the criminal underworld began in his hometown of Ratauli. At just 17 years old, a heated altercation led him to procure a pistol and fire a shot, an act that landed him in a juvenile correction home. However, Himanshu soon escaped, and over time, accumulated 17 serious criminal cases against him in Rohtak and Jhajjar. His notoriety grew, and so did his criminal empire, eventually earning him the moniker “Chhota Don” of Delhi.

The gangster is believed to be orchestrating his criminal activities from abroad, possibly from Portugal which is his last known location. His associate, Sahil, was recently detained in the US. Despite being overseas, Himanshu’s influence in Delhi remains potent, as demonstrated by the recent Burger King shooting.

A Network Of Fear And Extortion

Himanshu Bhau’s criminal activities extend beyond murder. He is heavily involved in extortion, targeting traders, liquor sellers, and bookies across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan. His modus operandi involves demanding money through WhatsApp, followed by visits from his henchmen to intimidate and, if necessary, execute his threats with violence. His gang has carried out several firing incidents in the past six months alone, including an indiscriminate shooting at a car showroom in West Delhi last month.

The gangster has formed alliances with rivals of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, one of the most feared criminal networks in North India. His association with jailed gangster Neeraj Bawana has further strengthened his position.

Gangster Goldy Brar was not killed in a shootout in California on Wednesday, US Police clarified amid a whirlwind of speculation on social media platforms. The notorious gangster is the prime accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala and has also orchestrated attacks on Salman Khan.

The rumours of his death first emerged on social media on Wednesday morning and then spread like wildfire across news websites. Videos of the shooting also went viral, further fueling the frenzy. However, upon investigation, these videos were found to be old recordings, not related to the California incident.

The narrative going viral on social media suggested that Goldy Brar, along with associates of gangsters Pavit Singh and Jaggoo Bhagnapuria, was involved in a scuffle at a club in Fresno, California. During the altercation, gunfire erupted, resulting in Brar’s death, the rumours said. Gangster Arsh Dalla allegedly claimed responsibility for the murder.

Simultaneously, reports emerged of a shooting incident in Fresno, where two individuals were shot and hospitalized in critical condition. However, the identity of the victims remained undisclosed by the California police.

Later in the day, Lieutenant William J Dooley of the Fresno Police Department clarified that the victim of the shooting incident in Fresno was not Goldy Brar, debunking the rumors circulating online.

“If you are inquiring because of the online chatter claiming that the shooting victim is ‘Goldy Brar’, we can confirm that this is absolutely not true,” Dooley told the media.

Security agencies in India echoed similar sentiments, stating that they had no information regarding Goldy Brar’s death.

Following the denial, security agencies in California delved into a shooting incident that occurred on April 30 to ascertain the truth behind the claims. The focus shifted to determining whether Goldy Brar was indeed shot after a brawl or if another individual was involved in the shooting.

New Delhi:

Khalistani terrorist Sukhdool Singh, also known as Sukha Duneke, was killed in Canada today in inter-gang violence, sources said. Duneke was part of the Khalistan movement in Canada.

Duneke was a “Category A” gangster from Punjab’s Moga who fled to Canada on a fake passport in 2017. He was a close associate of terrorist Arshdeep Dalla and is one of 43 gangsters with links to Khalistan and Canada mentioned in the list released by the anti-terror agency NIA yesterday.

Duneke’s killing comes in the backdrop of a huge diplomatic row between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons earlier this week that his government had “credible allegations” that linked Indian government agents to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in June.

India and Canada have expelled a senior diplomat each following Mr Trudeau’s accusations. India has denied the allegations, calling them “absurd” and “motivated.”

Nijjar, 45, was an Indian terrorist and chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), and was assassinated outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. He was one of India’s most wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh.

Yesterday, India issued a travel advisory for its citizens in Canada, a day after Canada updated its own advisory for India. India’s strong travel advisory warned of growing anti-India activity and “politically condoned hate crimes.” The advisory urged Indian citizens in Canada and those planning to travel there to exercise caution.

“In view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution.  Recently, threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda,’ read India’s advisory. 

The Canadian government today rejected India’s travel advisory, saying that it is one of the safest countries in the world. 

Amid this standoff between the two nations, Punjab Police today launched a statewide crackdown on the associates of gangster Goldy Brar, who is accused of killing singer Sidhu Moosewala. 

According to the police, Brar has close links to the Khalistani separatist movement and is believed to be hiding in Canada. 

Chandigarh:

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.