JALANDHAR: Former Tanda police station SHO Inspector Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, who was named in a US Department of Justice (DOJ) indictment linked to an extortion case, has been arrested by the Punjab Police for allegedly extorting Rs 16 lakh from a US-based family. He has been booked for extortion and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.The indictment filed by the US DOJ against gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria alleged that one of his associates threatened a victim before sharing the victim’s details with a corrupt police officer in Punjab, who then falsely implicated the victim, the victim’s father and sister in a January 2026 murder case in India and extorted money from them. The indictment explicitly named Gurinderjit Singh.The indictment was part of ‘Operation Hard Ball’, under which law enforcement agencies in the US, Canada and Europe arrested 24 people, including 11 in California, in connection with three India-based transnational organised crime groups accused of offences including the assassination of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.Following media reports on the DOJ indictment, the Punjab Police initiated an inquiry.Jalandhar Range DIG Naveen Singla said Nagra was immediately relieved of his duties as SHO of Tanda police station and transferred to Police Lines, Hoshiarpur, considering the seriousness of the allegations.The murder case was handed over to an IPS officer posted outside Hoshiarpur district for investigation.“During the investigation, sufficient evidence has come on record linking Inspector Gurinderjit Nagra with demand, extortion and illegal gratification from a US-based family,” Singla said.He added that the investigation had revealed Nagra allegedly extorted and accepted Rs 16 lakh as illegal gratification from the family.Based on the evidence, he was named as an accused in the FIR registered on January 16 at Tanda police station under Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 308 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.Nagra was arrested on Friday night and will be produced before the jurisdictional court, where the police will seek his remand for further investigation.The DIG said the probe was being carried out based on technical analysis, financial trails, witness statements and other corroborative evidence.Nagra has been placed under suspension and departmental proceedings have also been initiated. The investigation is continuing, police said.
