At least 13 cases are registered against Berar in India.
Chandigarh:
Amid India’s diplomatic standoff with Canada, the Punjab police have launched a statewide crackdown on associates of gangster Goldie Brar. Brar, one of the accused in the murder of singer Sidhu Musawala, is suspected of hiding in Canada and having links with Khalistani extremists.
Brar Lawrence is an active member of the Bishnoi gang and has at least 13 cases registered against him in India for crimes like murder, attempted murder and arms smuggling. He also has an Interpol Red Corner Notice and is wanted by law enforcement authorities in both India and Canada.
The Punjab Police’s action comes a day after the National Investigation Agency intensified its probe against Khalistani terrorists operating in India. The agency had announced a cash reward for information about five members of the terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), including Harvinder Singh Sindhu alias ‘Rinda’ and Lakhbir Singh Sindhu alias ‘Linda’.
In an operation that began on Thursday morning, the Punjab Police has started arresting several associates of Berar and Bishnoi gangs and others associated with them. Police officials said that it has often been seen that associates of Brar and Bishnoi, even while behind bars, lure youths involved in petty crimes like drug peddling and try to get them to commit major crimes.
Officials said that gang members and associates give ideological pressure to these youths and lure them with money to commit murders and target killings.
The operation is being conducted in all the 22 districts of the state and a detailed report on the arrested persons and evidence collected will be submitted to the police after completion. The crackdown also aims to disrupt the drug supply chain.
Worked as a truck driver.
Goldi Brar alias Satinderjeet Singh hails from Muktsar district in Punjab and became friends with Lawrence Bishnoi when they were both active in student politics in Chandigarh about ten years ago.
Brar moved to Canada on a student visa five years ago and worked as a truck driver for a while. Earlier this year, the country included him in its list of 25 most wanted fugitives.
Singer Sidhu Musawala was shot dead in his SUV near his village Musa in Mansa district of Punjab on June 29. The next day, Brar said in a Facebook post that he had planned the killing to avenge the killing of another gangster.
diplomatic row
Speaking in the Canadian Parliament on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had “credible allegations” linking the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Najjar in June to “agents of the Indian government”.
The Indian government has dismissed the allegation as “ridiculous and provocative”.
Both Canada and India have expelled a diplomat from the other country since the standoff began. On Wednesday, India also issued a travel advisory for Canada, a day after the latter updated its travel advisory for India.
Najjar was the head of the outlawed Khalistan Tiger Force and was killed on June 18 in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. On Thursday, there were reports of another terrorist, Sukhdol Singh, being killed in gang violence in Canada.