Punjab cop who tried to extort $400,000 from US family in AAP worker murder case arrested

Times of India Published Jul 19, 2026 Reviewed Jul 19, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors

The US Department of Justice indicted Gurinderjit Singh Nagra on July 7 for conspiracy to commit extortion and obstructing foreign commerce in connection with Operation Hard Ball.

The alleged extortion attempt of $400,000 (approximately Rs 3.8 crore) by Gurinderjit Singh Nagra pertained to the murder of AAP worker Balwinder Singh in Miani village on January 15.

400000 USD · alleged extortion amountabout 38000000 INR · alleged extortion amount

DIG Naveen Singla stated that Gurinderjit Singh Nagra was immediately relieved as SHO after serious allegations were made, and that investigation revealed he extorted and accepted Rs 16 lakh as illegal gratification from the US-based family.

1600000 INR · illegal gratification amount

Inspector Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, former SHO of Tanda police station, was arrested by Punjab Police for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 16 lakh from a US-based family in connection with the murder of AAP worker Balwinder Singh.

1600000 INR · alleged extortion amount

An FIR was registered on January 16 at Tanda police station against Gurinderjit Singh Nagra under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and BNS for extortion and illegal gratification in connection with the murder of AAP worker Balwinder Singh.

JALANDHAR: Punjab Police have arrested inspector Gurinderjit Singh Nagra , former Tanda police station SHO, who has been accused by the US justice dept of being part of an international extortion racket that targeted an Indian-origin family in the US.An FIR was registered at the same station that Nagra once headed.

Facing charges of extortion and offences under the anti-corruption Act, he was produced in a Dasuya court Saturday and sent to police custody for 3 days.The justice dept said on July 7 that the US was pursuing Nagra’s extradition to face trial on charges of conspiracy to commit extortion and obstructing foreign commerce.

The US indictment, part of Operation Hard Ball, against gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria says one of his associates threatened a victim and then provided the victim’s name to a “corrupt law enforcement officer” in Punjab, who then falsely accused the victim, his father and his sister of a Jan murder in India and extorted Rs 16 lakh from them.

The indictment named Nagra.Rs 3.8cr alleged extortion bid linked to murder of AAP workerDIG (Jalandhar range) Naveen Singla said Nagra was immediately relieved as SHO after the serious allegations.“Investigation of the murder case was entrusted to an IPS officer posted outside Hoshiarpur district. Sufficient evidence has come on record linking inspector Gurinderjit Nagra with extortion and illegal gratification from a USbased family,” he said.“Investigation has so far revealed Nagra was involved in extorting and accepting Rs 16 lakh as illegal gratification from the US-based family,” he said, adding he was named as an accused in the same murder FIR, registered on Jan 16 at Tanda police station under sections of Prevention of Corruption Act and BNS after enough evidence was gathered.Nagra has been suspended and departmental proceedings have been initiated against him.

The case in which Nagra is alleged to have attempted extortion of $400,000 (around Rs 3.8 crore) from a US-based family pertained to the murder of AAP worker Balwinder Singh in Miani village on Jan 15. The indictment against Bhagwanpuria’s associate Gurlal Singh alleged Nagra threatened to implicate the victims in the murder case unless they paid up.Get the latest City News and Live updates.

Download the TOI App.

This article was originally published by Times of India ↗. citations.press indexes the source-backed facts above and links to the original. Something wrong? Corrections policy · Report an error