Punjab Police launches statewide crackdown on aides of gangster Goldy Brar

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 against him for offences like murder, attempt-to-murder and arms smuggling registered against him in India. He 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.