Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Jul 8: Federal prosecutors in the United States have charged a Punjab Police officer in connection with an international organised crime investigation, accusing him of conspiring with a criminal syndicate to frame individuals in a murder case and extort money by threatening legal action.
The charges form part of 'Operation Hard Ball', a multinational law enforcement initiative targeting transnational criminal organisations allegedly involved in murder, extortion, narcotics trafficking, firearms offences and other serious crimes across the United States, Canada and Europe. Three federal indictments related to the operation were unsealed on Tuesday.
Among those named is Gurinderjit Singh, who is also known by the aliases Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, Gurinder Jeet Singh and Rajinder Singh. He has been charged with attempted interference with commerce through extortion.
According to the indictment, the officer allegedly collaborated with members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria organised crime group to falsely implicate certain individuals in the January 2026 murder of a man identified in court records only as "B.S.". Prosecutors claim the accused then sought money from the victims in exchange for removing their names from the murder investigation.
While announcing the charges in Los Angeles, First Assistant US Attorney Bilal A. Essayli alleged that members of the crime syndicate worked alongside corrupt law enforcement officials in India to fabricate criminal cases against individuals they considered adversaries.
Essayli stated that Gurinderjit Singh, described in the indictment as a police official in India, allegedly attempted to extort victims residing in Los Angeles by threatening to implicate them in a fabricated murder case in India unless they paid money.
Court documents further allege that Gurlal Singh, identified as an associate of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria network, supplied details of one intended victim to Gurinderjit Singh to facilitate the false murder allegations. The officer is accused of subsequently contacting the victim's father and informing him that criminal proceedings would be initiated.
Prosecutors allege the officer warned the family that the victim, his father and his sister would all be named as accused unless a payment was made to secure their removal from the case.
The indictment also cites an incident on May 24, 2026, when Gurinderjit Singh allegedly addressed a press conference in Punjab and publicly claimed that members of the family had arranged a contract killing involving the victim, stating that they would soon be formally charged. Prosecutors further allege that the following day he told the victim's father that "Gurlal" was working with him and offered to exclude two family members from the case in exchange for money.
According to US investigators, the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria organisation allegedly relied on corrupt officials in India to pursue false criminal cases as a means of intimidating rivals and extracting payments. The indictment further alleges that the syndicate generated revenue through extortion, drug trafficking, illegal firearms operations and other organised criminal activities while attempting to erode public confidence in law enforcement institutions.
The case against Gurinderjit Singh is part of a wider federal prosecution involving 37 defendants accused of participating in three international organised crime networks operating across multiple countries.