FBI’s extortion allegations rock Punjab Police as Hoshiarpur SHO suspended after being named in $400,000 case

A Station House Officer (SHO) posted at Tanda police station in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district has been suspended and transferred to the police lines after being named in an alleged $400,000 extortion case by the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), triggering political reactions in Punjab.

The action against SHO Gurinderjit Singh Nagra came after the case was highlighted during a press briefing by US authorities. According to the allegations made public by the FBI, Nagra has been accused of demanding $400,000 (around ₹3.3 crore) from an Indian-origin family residing in the United States by allegedly threatening to implicate their relatives in India in a fabricated murder case if the payment was not made.

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The FBI has reportedly filed charges in connection with the alleged extortion case and shared details of the investigation through its Los Angeles office, along with a video statement. During the same briefing, US officials also referred to ongoing legal proceedings against jailed gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria in separate criminal cases in the United States, including murder-related allegations.

Following the disclosure, Punjab Police initiated departmental action. Senior officials shifted the inquiry outside Hoshiarpur to ensure an impartial investigation. DIG Jalandhar Range Naveen Singla said the probe has been transferred to Jalandhar, where SP (Detective) Vineet Ahluwalia has been assigned to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Hoshiarpur Senior Superintendent of Police ordered Nagra’s suspension and attached him to the police lines pending further proceedings.

Reacting to the allegations, Nagra denied any wrongdoing. He said he had only come to know about the viral video carrying his name and had not yet received any official communication from the investigating agencies. He maintained that no money had ever been deposited into any of his accounts and described the allegations against him as baseless, adding that he would be in a position to comment further only after obtaining information from the concerned agency.

The development quickly snowballed into a political issue, with opposition leaders targeting the AAP-led Punjab government over the controversy. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, in a post on X, claimed that the FBI had charged the Punjab Police officer in connection with the alleged extortion case. Referring to the allegations, he said the family had allegedly been threatened in the United States while their relatives in India were purportedly sought to be implicated in a false murder case.

Majithia further alleged that after the FBI had earlier pursued gangsters such as Goldy Brar, Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, a serving Punjab Police officer had now also come under the agency’s scanner. He accused the Bhagwant Mann-led government of damaging the reputation of Punjab Police and alleged that if the officer were extradited to the United States, an alleged nexus involving gangsters, the police and the ruling AAP could be exposed.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also criticised the state government through a post on X, questioning its handling of corruption allegations involving police officials and demanding accountability.

Punjab Police has not issued any official statement on the FBI’s allegations beyond confirming departmental action and the ongoing inquiry. The investigation is expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the allegations and whether any further disciplinary or legal action is warranted.