Punjab Police Inspector Gurinderjeet Singh Nagra, who was recently indicted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of “Operation Hardball,” was arrested on Saturday in Hoshiarpur district for allegedly trying to extort $400,000 ( $3.81 crore) from a family based in Los Angeles, the officers said.
He was produced before a Hoshiarpur court, which sent him to police custody for three days.
The move comes a week after the FBI indicted Nagra and accused him of maintaining alleged links with gangsters. US prosecutors said they would press for Nagra’s extradition after his arrest. “We have charged him, and we will extradite him to the United States,” US Attorney Bill Isely said in a press conference on July 8.
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Nagra, who was serving as station house officer in Tanda when the charges against him came to light, was subsequently transferred to police lines in Hoshiarpur.
“Nagra has been placed under suspension and appropriate administrative action has been initiated. The investigation is ongoing,” said Naveen Singla, Deputy Inspector General of Jalandhar Group.
The case against him is registered under Section 308 (extortion) of the BNS and sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, police said. The FIR relates to the murder of Balwinder Singh, a hardware shop owner based in Miani village in Tanda on January 15, and the sections were added after the chargesheet.
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The US Department of Justice indictment, unsealed as part of the FBI’s “Operation Hardball,” alleged that Nagra worked with Jaghu Bhagwanpuria’s gang.
She said the matter came to light after the killing of Balwinder Singh. A day after the murder, alleged gang leaders Jashal Chambal and Gurlal Rudiana claimed responsibility for the crime. Hoshiarpur DSP Davinder Singh Bajwa and Nagra on May 24 announced the arrest of Gurman Singh and Swaraj Singh in the case.
The local police investigation indicated that Balwinder Singh’s US-based brother-in-law, Gurpreet Singh, planned the killing. Subsequently, the police named him, his father Charanjit Singh and his sister as conspirators.
The charge sheet said that Nagra called Charanjeet on April 13 and threatened to harm the family. He allegedly cited instructions from Gurlal Singh and attempted to purchase property in Los Angeles County between April 13 and June 5.
