US on His Lookout, India Orders Probe: How Punjab SHO Was Linked to Los Angeles Family Extortion Case

A Punjab SHO has been charged allegedly for extorting money from a family in Los Angeles, US, by threatening them to file false murder cases against their relatives in India. He came under the FBI scanner during "Operation Hard Ball" - a years-long federal investigation into Indian crime syndicates across international borders, and other crimes around the world whose impact is especially felt in the Indian diaspora.

By Pranjal Gupta

New Delhi, July 8: Following the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) charges of extortion against a "police chief" in Punjab, the Jalandhar Range Police has transferred the officer in question to the police lines in Hoshiarpur and ordered an inquiry into the allegations. According to First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli, Inspector Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, SHO of Tanda, allegedly extorted $400,000 from a family in Los Angeles by threatening to target their relatives in India and file false murder cases against them.

"A formal fact-finding inquiry into the matter has been ordered by the DIG, Jalandhar Range, Jalandhar, and entrusted to the Superintendent of Police (Investigation), Jalandhar Rural, an IPS officer. The Inquiry Officer has been directed to examine the allegations and all relevant facts and submit a detailed report at the earliest," the Jalandhar Police said in a press note.

Speaking at a press conference, where Essayli briefed the media on the FBI's "Operation Hardball", he said: "I think he actually did file the murder charges against the family in India until the victim eventually agreed to pay the money."

Gurinderjit Sinh, the Punjab SHO, accused by FBI for money extortion from a Los Angeles Family has been transferred to police line as an Jalandhar Range Police orders an inquiry in the matter. (AI-Generated Image)

The US official stated that Gurinderjit Singh had not been arrested by the FBI, but said he would be "soon".

Officer Linked to Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Gang

According to the FBI, Gurinderjit was involved with the gang of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria (38), an imprisoned gangster in India. He is an associate-turned-rival of Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and founded his own criminal enterprise in Punjab, India, the Department of Justice, US, said in a press release. It added that his gang operates as a transnational criminal syndicate headquartered in India, with members across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

"According to the indictment, in April 2026, Gurlal Singh, 22, of Stockton, California, a member of the Bhagwanpuria syndicate who is an illegal immigrant from India, threatened a victim and then provided the victim's name to a corrupt law enforcement officer in Punjab, India. This ultimately led to the victim, the victim's father and the victim's sister being falsely accused of the January 2026 murder of a victim in India identified in court documents as 'B.S.' said the DoJ press release.

"It also led to the corrupt law enforcement officer in India extorting the victim and the victim's father in connection with that pending murder case," it added.