Chandigarh, August 6
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Partap Singh Bajwa, today raised the issue of Operation Hard Ball during Zero Hour and demanded that the Punjab Government place a detailed report before the House explaining the allegations emerging from the FBI-led international investigation into transnational organised crime networks.
Bajwa said the disclosures made by the United States Department of Justice are deeply alarming as they allege that Inspector Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, then SHO of Tanda Police Station, colluded with members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang to extort nearly US$400,000 (approximately ₹3.8 crore) from an Indian-origin family in California by threatening to falsely implicate innocent family members, including women, in a murder case.
“The allegations suggest that official police machinery was allegedly misused to facilitate organised crime. This is not merely a case of individual misconduct but raises serious questions about the functioning of the law enforcement system in Punjab,” Bajwa said.
Referring to the findings of Operation Hard Ball, Bajwa said the investigation has exposed how transnational criminal networks linked to Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Rohit Godara and their overseas associates allegedly continued to direct extortion, murder conspiracies and other organised criminal activities through local operatives, financial channels and corrupt facilitators.
Bajwa questioned how such an alleged nexus between police officials and gangsters could function without political patronage. “Can such a network operate without the knowledge or protection of those in power? The AAP Government owes an explanation to the people of Punjab. It must clarify whether organised crime has managed to infiltrate the policing system under its watch,” he said.
The Leader of the Opposition demanded that the Punjab Government table a comprehensive report in the Vidhan Sabha detailing the facts of the case, the action taken against all those allegedly involved, the status of departmental and criminal proceedings, and the concrete measures being implemented to dismantle any alleged police-gangster nexus.
Bajwa noted that following the FBI disclosures, the Punjab Police transferred the officer concerned, initiated a departmental inquiry and subsequently arrested him in an extortion case under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He said that while the US investigation does not allege institutional wrongdoing by the Punjab Police as a whole, the revelations underscore the urgent need for greater accountability, stronger internal vigilance and complete transparency to restore public confidence in law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Bajwa, along with senior Congress MLAs, also staged a protest against the AAP government over its alleged inaction in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case.