Who Is Gurinderjit Singh Nagra? Punjab SHO named in FBI's Rs 3.3 crore extortion case
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 8, 2026: Gurinderjit Singh Nagra is a Punjab Police Inspector who was serving as the Station House Officer (SHO) of Tanda Police Station in Hoshiarpur district when he came under the scanner of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI has accused him of allegedly attempting to extort USD 400,000 (approximately Rs 3.3 crore) from a US-based Indian-origin family by threatening to implicate their relatives in a murder case registered in Punjab.
The allegations, which form part of an ongoing FBI investigation, have not been proven in court.
According to the FBI, the alleged extortion conspiracy was linked to the investigation into the murder of Balvinder Singh, owner of Satkartaar Hardware Shop in Miani village under Tanda Police Station.
Balvinder Singh was shot dead on January 15, 2026, when three unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly opened fire at his shop. Another man, Lakhwinder Singh, sustained injuries in the attack. Following the incident, Tanda Police registered an FIR under provisions relating to murder, attempt to murder and the Arms Act.
A day after the murder, gangsters Jashal Chambal and Gurlal Rudiana allegedly claimed responsibility for the killing through a social media post, according to the FBI indictment.
The FBI alleges that the murder investigation was later used as a tool to threaten an Indian-origin family living in Stockton, California.
According to the indictment, on April 13, 2026, Nagra allegedly contacted the father of the targeted family and warned that he would implicate the family—including two other relatives—in the Balvinder Singh murder case.
Three days later, on April 16, he allegedly demanded USD 400,000 (around Rs 3.3 crore), threatening that if the money was not paid, the family members would be formally named as accused in the murder case.
The FBI claims the alleged conspiracy stretched from Stockton, California, to Tanda in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, involving attempts to extort money from the US-based family.
Punjab Police Removes SHO, Orders Departmental Probe
Following the disclosure of the allegations, Punjab Police removed Gurinderjit Singh Nagra from the post of SHO and attached him to the Police Lines pending a departmental inquiry.
The inquiry has been shifted from Hoshiarpur to Jalandhar Range to ensure an impartial investigation.
The departmental probe has been entrusted to Vineet Ahlawat, SP (Detective), Jalandhar, who has been directed to conduct a detailed investigation and submit his report at the earliest.
The FBI has published details of the investigation through its Los Angeles Field Office and also released a video outlining the allegations. However, the US agency has not stated that the allegations have been proven, and the case remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, Davinder Singh, DSP, Tanda, said Punjab Police has not received any official communication from the FBI regarding the matter.
Speaking to the media, he said the department was unaware of why the FBI had taken up the case and suggested that the accused in the murder case may have approached the US agency. He maintained that the departmental inquiry is continuing and the matter remains under investigation.