Indian Police Officer Gunder Preet Singh Charged After 400k Extortion Bid On La Family

An “active police chief” in India has been charged with attempting to extort $400,000 from a family in Los Angeles, according to Fox LA. Gunder Preet Singh allegedly threatened to file false murder charges against their relatives in India.

A clip of a press conference has surfaced on X, where an official is seen saying of Singh, “And if they didn't pay it, then he was going to charge their family members in India with murder. I think he actually did file murder charges against the family in India until the victim eventually agreed to pay the money.”

When someone asks if the police chief is in custody, the official replies, “That chief is not in custody yet, but he will be, sure.”

He adds, “We have charged him, and we will extradite him into the US.”

Singh’s name was revealed after federal authorities unsealed three major indictments charging 37 defendants linked to India-based transnational organized crime groups. This comes after a multi-year collaborative probe.

The operatives were accused of utilizing widespread violence, extortion, and multi-million-dollar narcotics pipelines, terrorizing communities across North America in the process. US First Attorney Bill Essayli announced during a press conference on Tuesday, July 7, that at least 15 of the defendants arrested in the US were in the country illegally.

The Bishnoi enterprise, led by 33-year-old Lawrence Bishnoi, is at the centre of the controversy. Meanwhile, an associate-turned-rival group known as the Bhagwanpuria gang went on to weaponize institutional corruption.

This 1,000-member transnational syndicate is commanded by imprisoned gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. They specialized in murder-for-hire, weapons trafficking, and complex extortion schemes, officials said. The group colluded with corrupt law enforcement officers in India to file false criminal charges against domestic rivals to extort money from victims in California.

Singh’s name isn’t the only one that came to light with the indictments being unsealed. Another defendant, Gurudev Singh, who was also named, allegedly tried to extort a victim while held in ICE custody by utilizing unrecorded lines or smuggled communication devices. Meanwhile, Ravinder Singh Dhanda, operating under the alias "John Wick" from Vancouver, has been accused of brokering international smuggling services for bulk quantities of narcotics across the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More