Chandigarh: Punjab police on Sunday claimed to have busted an extortion racket backed by US-based gangster Gurdev Jassal, with arresting two persons including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Punjab police.

Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused included an Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) Surjit Singh posted in Batala and recovered Rs 83 lakh extortion money, illegal firearms, and luxury vehicles from their possession.

The other arrested accused has been identified as Ankus Maini, a resident of Kalanaur in Gurdaspur.

DGP Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed, on February 4, associates of Jassal opened fire at a petrol pump of a Kalanaur-based businessman with an intention to intimidate him and extort money from him. After continuous threat calls and demand of Rs 1 crore as extortion money, the businessman eventually paid Rs 50 lakhs on February 11, he said.

He said that Jassal’s gang used foreign numbers for threats and coordinated payments, ensuring that the extortion funds were routed through multiple intermediaries. Probe revealed that ASI Surjit Singh and Ankus Maini were involved in the collection and distribution of extortion funds, he said.

The DGP said that the accused ASI Surjit Singh has been dismissed from the service.

Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Batala, Suhail Qasim Mir said that some days back, Station House Officer (SHO) of police station Sadar Batala received an intelligence input regarding a local police officer’s involvement in handling extortion money.

Following inputs, an operation was launched leading to the arrest of the ASI and upon his confession regarding concealing a large cache of money at his house, a team reached his residence at Harnam Nagar, Batala, where Rs 76.32 lakh in cash was recovered.

The SSP said the person who had handed over the money to the ASI was also tracked and eventually accused Ankus was arrested. Police teams have also recovered Rs 5.91 lakh and one .32 bore pistol.

He said that further probe has also revealed that ASI’s two sons are in close contact with Gurdev Jassal, facilitating the transfer of extorted funds to the gangster.

2 ULTRA RINDA AIDES NABBED

Meanwhile, the Punjab police also claimed to have arrested two key operatives of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) linked to Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda and USA-based Happy Passian and recovered two .32 bore pistols and five rounds.

Police said the accused, identified as Jagdish Jagga, Tarn Taran, and Shubhdeep Aulakh of Amritsar, had committed a murder and severely injured another in Nanded, Maharashtra, on February 10, 2025, following Rinda’s directions.