Punjab Police has initiated departmental action against Tanda Police Station SHO Gurinderjit Singh Nagra after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) named him in a $400,000 extortion case, transferring the officer to the Hoshiarpur police line and ordering an independent fact-finding inquiry into the allegations.

The move came hours after the allegations triggered a political controversy in Punjab, with opposition parties demanding accountability and raising questions over the alleged links between organised crime and sections of the state police.

Jalandhar Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Naveen Singla has constituted a fact-finding committee to examine the allegations flagged by US authorities. According to reports, the inquiry will be headed by an IPS officer from outside Hoshiarpur district.

The departmental action follows allegations made public by the FBI, which has accused Gurinderjit Singh Nagra of being connected to an extortion racket involving approximately $400,000. According to the allegations, a family based in the United States was allegedly threatened for money, while some of their relatives in Punjab were purportedly implicated in a fabricated murder case to increase pressure.

The allegations quickly became a flashpoint in Punjab politics after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia accused the Bhagwant Mann-led government of allowing a nexus between criminals and sections of the police to flourish.

In a post on X, Majithia claimed that an officer of the Punjab Police had come under the scanner of the FBI over the alleged extortion conspiracy. He further alleged that the development had tarnished the reputation of the state's police force and demanded accountability from the government.

The SAD leader also drew comparisons with gangsters such as Goldy Brar, Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, arguing that the involvement of a serving police officer in an international investigation raised serious concerns. He alleged that if the FBI were to pursue further action in the case, it could expose an alleged nexus involving organised crime, politicians and sections of the police.

The controversy unfolded on the same day the FBI announced a reward of up to USD 50,000 for information leading to the arrest of Satinderjeet Singh, alias Goldy Brar, who is wanted in connection with the Lawrence Bishnoi organised crime network. US authorities said Brar has links to California, Canada, India and Mexico.

Separately, US federal prosecutors recently unsealed indictments against Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar and several other alleged organised crime figures under Operation Hard Ball, a coordinated crackdown targeting transnational criminal networks accused of involvement in extortion, violent crime and international narcotics trafficking.

With ANI inputs