The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police on Saturday claimed to have thwarted a targeted contract killing by arresting three alleged shooters linked to foreign-based gangsters Keshav Shivala and Amrit Dallam. The accused were apprehended from beneath a bridge on the Batala Road bypass following specific intelligence inputs.
Accused identified and weapons seized
The arrested individuals have been identified as Anmol Singh and Jagroop Singh, both residents of Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, and Mohit Bhatti of the Gate Hakiman area in Amritsar. During the operation, police seized three foreign-made pistols, three magazines, 11 cartridges, and three mobile phones from their possession. A fourth accomplice, allegedly tasked with transporting the shooters to the target location, remains at large.
Link to foreign-based gangsters
Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were acting on the directions of Shivala and Dallam, who operate from abroad. According to police, the gang has been involved in numerous extortion, murder, attempted murder, and firing incidents across the Majha belt, instilling fear among businessmen and doctors in the border region from Pathankot to Tarn Taran.
Confession to murder of gangster Dharma
During interrogation, the accused admitted to their involvement in the murder of gangster Dharamjit Singh, alias Dharma, who was shot dead on September 25, 2025, shortly after being released from jail on parole. Following the murder, the shooters fled to Himachal Pradesh before returning to Gurdaspur after the situation calmed down. Sources said the accused have multiple criminal cases registered against them across the Majha belt.
Extortion operations and modus operandi
Investigators recovered contact numbers of businessmen from the accused's mobile phones, indicating that the gang had been making extortion calls and collecting ransom money from victims. In a significant disclosure, the accused allegedly told investigators that they were paid only Rs 10,000 each through hawala channels for the murder of Dharma. They further revealed that they received around Rs 5,000 for carrying out firing incidents outside the homes of individuals who refused to pay extortion demands.
Legal proceedings
The accused were produced before a court on Saturday, which sent them to four-day police custody for further interrogation. The SSOC continues to investigate the network and is searching for the fourth accomplice.
