Chandigarh: Almost every major crime in Mohali and Chandigarh today carries the imprint of an organised gang, signalling the growing stakes of criminal networks tightening their grip on the region. Even in the murder of realtor Chamanpreet Singh, investigators believe the Bambiha gang’s shadow is unmistakable.Police say the battle for supremacy is driven by a lucrative extortion racket targeting singers, actors, builders, liquor barons and other high-profile names across Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana. What was once a two-gang turf fight between the Lawrence Bishnoi and Devinder Bambiha groups splintered further after Goldy Brar broke away, triggering a three-way power struggle. Smaller criminals have since been misusing these gang names to intimidate or extort victims.Chandigarh Police have already registered two FIRs linked to extortion attempts and firing incidents at a chemist shop in Sector 21 and a builder’s home in Sector 32—a tactic gangs use to force compliance.On January 17, 2026, Mohali Police booked members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang for allegedly demanding Rs 10 crore from Bollywood singer B Praak. Punjabi singer Dilnoor Bablu, who filed the complaint, said he received repeated calls and a voice note from gangster Arzoo Bishnoi threatening him to ensure Praak paid up.Police officers say a chilling pattern has emerged: after every high-profile killing, gang members take to social media to claim responsibility and circulate audio clips justifying the murder and accusing the victim of siding with rival groups.Despite the bloodshed, the men running these gangs are nowhere near the ground. Lawrence Bishnoi continues to operate from a Gujarat jail. After the encounter of Davinder Bambiha, his successor Lucky Patial fled abroad and now issues commands from overseas. Goldy Brar, believed to be in the US, leads his own faction.In May 2024, rumours of Brar’s killing in California spread rapidly, but US authorities later confirmed they were false. Brar—accused of masterminding the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala—was already on the radar of global agencies and listed among top criminals linked to the Babbar Khalsa network. His decade-long partnership with Bishnoi collapsed last year amid ego clashes, territorial disputes and allegations of betrayal.The break came after Bishnoi’s brother, Anmol, was detained in California in November 2024 for using fake documents. Lawrence believed Brar and his aide Rohit Godara failed to help secure his bail—and may even have leaked information that led to his detention, reports suggest.Tensions escalated further in December 2025 when Inderpreet Singh, alias Parry—once close to Lawrence—was shot dead in Sector 26. Viral audio clips from both camps confirmed the final split between the two gangsters.The rivalry has a long tail. In November 2020, when Goldy Brar’s brother Gurlal was gunned down in Industrial Area Phase 1 by Bambiha gang shooters, Brar and Bishnoi were still allies and retaliated together. Today, those alliances lie in ruins, replaced by suspicion, revenge and a dangerous competition for dominance—one that continues to spill out on the streets of Chandigarh and Mohali with deadly precision.GangwarsJan 28, 2026 | Gurvinder Singh alias Guri was gunned down outside the gates of the DIG and SSP offices. Hours after the murder, the Goldy Brar–Rohit Godara gang posted on social media claiming responsibility for Gurvinder’s killing, calling it revenge for the murder of Gurlal BrarDec 1 2025 | Inderpreet Singh alias Parry, once a close aide of Lawrence Bishnoi and Canadabased gangster Goldy Brar, was chased and shot dead in Chandigarh’s Sector 26 on Monday night in what police said could be ‘gang war’ linked to the murder of Lawrence’s close associate, Jora Sidhu alias Sippa in Dubai last month.Extortion networksDec 29, 2025 | The Lahoria-Bambiha gang henchman was found to be harbouring gangsters and acting as an extortion money collection agent in Punjab. The accused, Rakesh Kumar alias Maddi, was nabbed at his hideout in Kharar, MohaliDec 17, 2025 | Doni Bal, a member of the Devinder Bambiha gang, who claimed responsibility for the killing of Kunwar Digvijay Singh, alias Rana Balachauria, during a kabaddi tournament in Mohali, threatened a Chandigarh-based liquor businessman, demanding Rs 1 crore in extortion money March 1 2024 | The AGTF, Punjab, arrested Amritpal Singh, an associate of Davinder Bambiha gang, for his involvement in the firing incident at a restaurant in Sector 79 in Mohali. The firing was executed on the directions of Lucky Patial of Davinder Bambiha gang to extract extortion money from victims
