Who Is Gurinderjit Singh Nagra? Punjab Cop Faces US Extradition Over Rs 3.81 crore Extortion Case

Last Updated:July 09, 2026, 13:50 IST

American officials have said they intend to seek Nagra's extradition. “That chief is not in custody yet, but he will be soon."

Punjab Police Officer Gurinderjit Singh Nagra is facing possible extradition to the United States as part of a multinational investigation involving law enforcement agencies from the US, Canada and Europe, according to US officials and court records made public on Tuesday.

The case is linked to Operation Hard Ball, a joint crackdown by US and Canadian authorities targeting organised crime networks operating between Punjab and California. As part of the operation, US courts also unsealed indictments against gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Ravinder Singh Dhanda.

Who Is Gurinderjit Singh Nagra?

Nagra was serving as the Station House Officer (SHO) of Tanda police station in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district when he was named in the US investigation. Action against Nagra, then the SHO, followed an FBI media briefing in which officials accused him of helping gangsters extort $400,000 from a Los Angeles family by threatening to falsely implicate their relatives in India in a murder case.

Following reports of his alleged involvement, the Punjab Police removed him from field duty, transferred him to the police lines and ordered a fact-finding inquiry.

The allegations against him are detailed in a 44-page indictment filed before the US District Court for the Central District of California on June 25. The document was made public by US authorities on July 7.

American officials have said they intend to seek Nagra’s extradition. “That chief is not in custody yet, but he will be soon," Essayli said.

Why Is The US Seeking His Extradition?

According to US Attorney Bill Essayli, Nagra allegedly worked with members of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s gang in an extortion plot targeting a family living in the United States.

He is accused of threatening to falsely implicate the family’s relatives in Punjab in a murder case unless they paid nearly $400,000 (around ₹3.81 crore).

The indictment states that in April, Gurlal Singh, a 22-year-old undocumented immigrant from India living in Stockton, California, and an alleged member of the Bhagwanpuria gang, shared details of a California-based individual with Nagra as part of the alleged extortion scheme linked to a murder case in Hoshiarpur.

The murder in question involved Balvinder Singh, a local Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and hardware shop owner, who was shot dead by three assailants in Miani village under Hoshiarpur’s Tanda subdivision on January 15, 2026. He is identified in the indictment as B.S.

A day after the killing, gangsters Jashal Chambal and Gurlal Rudiana claimed responsibility through a post on social media.

US investigators allege that Nagra contacted the intended victim’s father on April 13 and threatened to implicate the entire family, including the victim’s sister, in the murder investigation. On April 16, he allegedly demanded money and warned that all three family members would be named as accused if they refused to pay.

Meanwhile, during a press conference on May 24, Nagra and Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh Bajwa announced the arrest of the two alleged shooters, Gurman Singh and Sawaraj Singh of Panj Garayian village in Gurdaspur.

The officers claimed the accused were linked to US-based gangster Gurlal Singh and described the murder as a contract killing, alleging the shooters were paid Rs 1.80 lakh.

Police also alleged that Balvinder Singh’s daughter was involved in a marital dispute with her husband, Gurpreet Singh, who lives in California, and claimed he had orchestrated the killing. Gurpreet, his father Charanjit Singh, a retired assistant sub-inspector of police, and his sister were later named as accused.

However, the US indictment alleges that Gurpreet Singh, his father and his sister were actually the targets of the alleged extortion attempt.

The indictment further claims that Nagra continued pressuring the family, particularly Gurpreet’s sister, and allegedly offered to remove the names of two relatives from the murder case if payment was made.

Essayli said Nagra’s final demand was $400,000 (approximately ₹3.81 crore).

According to the indictment, Nagra also attempted to acquire property in Los Angeles County between April 13 and June 5.

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