Gangster Goldy Dhillon Arrested Spain Chandigarh Chemist Janki Das Murder

Gurpreet Singh, alias Goldy Dhillon, an accused absconding in the National Investigation Agency (NIA)-investigated Sector 5 firing case, was arrested in Spain, clearing the way for Chandigarh Police to seek his extradition for questioning in the June 13 murder of Sector 11 chemist shop cashier Janki Das.

Police suspect Dhillon to be one of the key conspirators behind the murder and are also probing his alleged role in an extortion racket targeting businessmen in Chandigarh.

Officials confirmed that the NIA had already secured a Red Corner Notice against Dhillon in the 2024 Sector 5 firing case. Following his arrest abroad with the assistance of Indian agencies, Chandigarh Police will now initiate legal proceedings to bring him to India.

“We will initiate the process for his extradition in the Sector 11 murder case for questioning,” the SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said.

Police believe the conspiracy to kill 45-year-old Janki Das, a cashier at Shri Kumar Medicos in Sector 11, was orchestrated from abroad through Dhillon’s network operating in India. Two armed men shot Das inside the chemist shop on June 13. He later died at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).

Hours after the murder, a social media account identifying itself as the “Goldy Dhillon Group” claimed responsibility for the killing and threatened persons allegedly linked to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Several purported audio clips attributed to Dhillon later surfaced online, though police said forensic verification is part of the ongoing investigation.

Investigators are also examining whether the murder was linked to an extortion racket allegedly operated by Dhillon’s network. According to police sources, several businessmen in Sector 11, including chemist shop owners, had received extortion calls in recent months. Police are also probing whether similar threats issued to businessmen elsewhere in Chandigarh are linked to the same network.

Sources said Dhillon was earlier associated with networks linked to gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar before establishing his own module.

Within a week of the murder, Chandigarh Police arrested multiple alleged members of Dhillon’s network. The two alleged shooters, Sunny Mehra and Aryan Sharma, sustained bullet injuries during a police encounter while allegedly attempting to escape custody.

On June 20, police arrested three more alleged associates, Happy Chib (20), Rahul Kumar (24) and Vansh Sharma (19), all residents of Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district. Police said they were waiting for instructions to execute another crime in the Tricity. Officers recovered two pistols, including a foreign-made C47 9 mm weapon and a .32 bore pistol, along with nine live cartridges.

The Sector 5 firing case dates back to January 19, 2024, when armed associates of Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar allegedly opened fire outside a businessman’s residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 5. The NIA has alleged the attack was part of an organised extortion network targeting affluent businessmen across Punjab, Chandigarh and other states.

So far, eight accused have been arrested in the case. Before Dhillon’s arrest, only Goldy Brar and Goldy Dhillon were absconding. The trial is currently underway before the Special NIA Court in Chandigarh.