The Chandigarh police have arrested four more individuals, including the alleged main conspirator currently lodged in Kapurthala Jail, in connection with the murder of a pharmacy cashier in Sector 11. With these arrests, the police claim to have dismantled a cross-border and inter-state network involved in the supply of illegal arms, methamphetamine, and fake Indian currency notes.
Details of the Arrests
During intelligence-led raids in the Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts of Punjab, city police teams arrested Akash Kumar (alias Mani), Sachin Silvester, and Gurmeet Singh (alias Badshah). Dharminder Singh (alias Goli, alias Balwinder Singh, alias HSZ), the alleged kingpin currently lodged in Kapurthala Jail, was formally arrested on a production warrant. The police recovered 3.028 kg of ICE (methamphetamine), Rs 8 lakh in fake currency, and two sophisticated pistols with magazines during the operation.
The Murder and Initial Arrests
Janki Das, a 45-year-old pharmacy cashier at Shri Kumar Medical Hall in Sector 11, was shot multiple times inside the chemist shop on June 13. Earlier, the police had arrested the three shooters and uncovered the involvement of Canada-based gang handlers. The latest breakthrough, according to the police, exposed a larger criminal infrastructure that allegedly facilitated the murder by arranging weapons, logistics, finances, and safe houses while simultaneously operating a narco-terror and counterfeit currency network with cross-border links.
Role of the Kingpin
According to the investigation, Dharminder Singh, who faces 32 criminal cases including murder, extortion, and offences under the Arms Act and the NDPS Act, allegedly directed the conspiracy from jail. The police said Gurmeet Singh arranged accommodation and logistics for the two shooters who had arrived from Jammu, supplied them with illegal firearms, and got the weapons test-fired before the Sector 11 murder. Akash Kumar allegedly procured and supplied illegal firearms, methamphetamine, and counterfeit currency while remaining in contact with a foreign-based operative. Sachin Silvester allegedly assisted in collecting, transporting, and delivering weapons, narcotics, and fake currency to members of the syndicate.
Cross-Border Network
The investigation has revealed a multi-layered network in which Pakistan-based handlers allegedly used low-flying drones to drop consignments of arms and narcotics across the Punjab border with Pakistan. The consignments were allegedly collected by local operatives on the directions of jail-based gang leaders and foreign handlers. The police said the network relied on end-to-end encrypted messaging applications to coordinate the movement of weapons, drugs, and counterfeit currency while evading law enforcement agencies.
Ongoing Investigation
The police said further investigation is on to identify other members of the network, trace the financial trail, establish the source of the recovered weapons, narcotics, and counterfeit currency, and recover additional contraband. More arrests are expected. “The Chandigarh Police follow a zero-tolerance policy against crime, criminals, gangs, gangsterism, terrorism and the drug menace. We will continue to pursue every link in such organised criminal networks, irrespective of whether the handlers operate from across the border or from inside prisons. Our focus remains on dismantling these syndicates by targeting their operatives, logistics, finances and support systems to ensure the safety and security of Chandigarh residents,” said Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, Chandigarh DGP.
