Punjab govt announces cash reward for Goldy Brar, 27 other wanted gangsters

The Punjab government on Friday issued full-page newspaper advertisements announcing cash rewards ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for “credible and reliable” information leading to the arrest of 28 proclaimed offenders, including foreign-based gangster Goldy Brar.

The BJP, however, alleged that the Bhagwant Mann government had “completely failed” to curb gangster culture in the state, arguing that the public reward scheme itself reflected the deteriorating condition of the law and order machinery.

Several of the listed gangsters, whose names and photographs appear in the 'Gangster Free Punjab' advertisement, are believed to be operating from abroad. Prominent among them are Goldy Brar, Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, Rohit Godara, Balwinder Singh Doni, Gaurav Patyal and Mohammad Yaseen Akhtar, one of the suspects wanted in the killing of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique.

The government has announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for 14 gangsters and Rs 5 lakh for the remaining 14. Information can be shared via the helpline 93946-93946, with the identity of informers to be kept confidential, the advertisement said.

Among those carrying a Rs 10-lakh reward is Satinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar of Muktsar Sahib, who was designated a terrorist by India in 2024 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). A former member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Brar is currently associated with the Brar–Rohit Godara–Kala Jatheri network. He had travelled to Canada on a student visa and is believed to be in the United States at present.

Rohit Godara, a Rajasthan native who fled India and now operates from abroad, also figures in the list.

Another prominent name is Canada-based Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, whose involvement was cited in the RPG attack on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali four years ago.

Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda has been designated a terrorist linked to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), while Gaurav Patyal is described as a foreign-based kingpin associated with the Davinder Bambiha gang.

A Rs 10-lakh reward has also been announced against Balwinder Singh Doni alias Doni Bal and Prabhdeep Singh alias Prabh Dasuwal, both of whom claimed responsibility for the murder of a village sarpanch during a wedding ceremony in Amritsar in January.

Those carrying a Rs 5-lakh reward include Mohammed Yaseen Akhtar, Jobanjeet Singh, Gurdev Singh, Nishan Singh Jourian, Rajesh Kumar and Jaskaran Singh.

Punjab Police had earlier said Mohammad Yaseen Akhtar (22), a resident of Jalandhar and one of the suspects in the killing of Baba Siddique, was already facing nine serious criminal cases, including charges of murder and attempted murder.

To tackle the issue of foreign-based criminal networks, Punjab Police has established an Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC) aimed at expediting extradition proceedings.

Director-general of police Gaurav Yadav had earlier said, “Punjab Police will nab the miscreants from any nook, in or outside the country, and make them face the law. We will not leave any space for gangsters. Their entire network will be eliminated. Just as the drug-free Punjab campaign, which has seen substantive progress, we will make the state gangster-free.”

Meanwhile, BJP general-secretary Tarun Chugh said the announcement highlighted what he described as a collapse of governance. “It is a shocking reflection of collapse of law and order in Punjab. A government that has to announce cash rewards for citizens to catch gangsters has clearly failed in its primary duty,” he said.

Questioning the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies, Chugh alleged that instead of ensuring public safety, the system appeared focused on serving political interests.

“Under Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership, Punjab has become a flourishing state for gangsters and mafias,” he said, adding that the state deserved better than “this atmosphere of insecurity and helpless governance.”

With PTI inputs