JALANDHAR
In a breakthrough against organized crime, the Jalandhar Rural Police arrested the main shooter of the Balachoria and Kaushal gang extortion ring. The accused was found to be instrumental in a plot to target a crusher owner in Himachal Pradesh and was being used by the gang as a front to make extortion calls.
The accused, identified as Manjot Singh alias Mani, son of Kulwinder Singh a resident of Moranwali village under Garhshankar police station, Hoshiarpur.
The accused was arrested by a team led by Sub-Inspector Amandeep Verma, in charge of the Crime Branch Jalandhar Rural. The arrest occurred during a naka operation at Adda Noorpur near GT Road under Maksudan Police Station on January 4, 2025.
During questioning, the accused disclosed the location of another illegal weapon, resulting in the recovery of a second 32-bore pistol from Una, Himachal Pradesh. Investigations revealed that Manjot Singh was a wanted criminal in an Arms Act case registered in Hoshiarpur and a key operative of the Ravi Balachoria gang.
It was further revealed that the gang was using Manjot Singh as a front to make extortion calls to targets, including a prominent crusher owner in Himachal Pradesh. He, along with his accomplice Jaskaran Singh alias Kari, had been actively conspiring to intimidate and extort money from victims on behalf of the gang.
The accused had been earlier booked under sections 25/, 54/ 59 /of the Arms Act at Garhshankar.
The police have recovered two country-made 32-bore pistols and two live cartridges as part of this operation. A case section 25/ 54/59 of the Arms Act has been registered against the accused at on Maksudan, police station.
The SSP Khakh added that police remand has been obtained, and further investigations are underway to dismantle the gang’s network, identify other members, and uncover additional criminal activities linked to the accused.