In a breakthrough that significantly expands the scope of the Sector-11 pharmacy murder investigation, Chandigarh Police have averted another major criminal strike planned by gangster Gurpreet Singh, alias Goldy Dhillon — a close associate and co-conspirator of Canada-based terrorist Satinderjit Singh, alias Goldy Brar — arresting three of his operatives in a dramatic chase and apprehending them with sophisticated weapons just as they attempted to enter the city to execute a fresh target on his orders.
The operation was carried out jointly by the Operations Cell and the Police Station Crime Branch.
On June 20, a joint team of the Operation Cell was on patrol when it received secret information that three operatives of the Goldy Dhillon gang — Happy Chib, Rahul Kumar and Vansh Sharma — were riding into Chandigarh from the Mullanpur side on a motorcycle, armed with automatic pistols, to carry out an offence in the tricity on Dhillon’s directions.
Acting on the tip-off, the team laid a trap and gave chase, eventually overpowering all three before they could escape, along with their weapons and ammunition. A case under the Arms Act has been registered at the police station’s crime branch.
The arrested trio were found in possession of sophisticated weapons, including a foreign-made C47 9mm pistol and a .32 bore pistol, along with nine live cartridges. Police said all three accused have previous criminal records.
Direct link to Sector-11 cashier murder
Interrogation has established that the three accused were in direct contact with Goldy Dhillon through encrypted messaging apps, and — significantly — that they are close associates of the men already arrested for the daylight murder of pharmacy cashier Janki Das in Sector 11.
According to police, all six men travelled together from Jammu on Dhillon’s instructions before splitting into two modules upon reaching Punjab. The first module, comprising Sunny Mehra, Aryan Sharma and Amit, went on to execute the Sector 11 killing and has already been arrested.
The second module, consisting of Happy Chib, Vansh Sharma and Rahul Kumar, remained in Punjab awaiting fresh orders. With the first module busted, Dhillon reportedly directed this second module to move into Chandigarh, where a new target was to be assigned to them shortly before police intercepted them.
Who is Goldy Dhillon and his link to Goldy Brar
Gurpreet Singh, alias Goldy Dhillon — also known by the alias Goldi Rajpura — is not to be confused with Satinderjit Singh, alias Goldy Brar, the Canada-based gangster designated a terrorist by the Union Home Ministry.
The two are, however, closely linked: Dhillon is Brar’s trusted associate and has been named a co-conspirator alongside him in an NIA chargesheet relating to a separate Chandigarh extortion-cum-firing case targeting a Sector 5 businessman, with both currently absconding and wanted by the agency.
The present case underlines that this Brar-Dhillon nexus continues to actively run armed modules into Chandigarh and the tricity, with Dhillon evidently operating with considerable autonomy in directing fresh operatives and assigning targets even as the network’s first module stood busted.
Profile of the accused
Happy Chib (20), son of Joginder Singh, hails from Smailpur village in Tehsil Bari Brahmana, Samba district of Jammu, and worked at a scrap factory in the area. A Class 10 dropout, he has an extensive criminal history in Jammu, with six FIRs registered against him since 2021 across charges including attempt to murder, assault, and Arms Act violations at Bari Brahmana police station, and has been arrested by Jammu Police on multiple prior occasions. A pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from him.
Rahul Kumar (24), son of Ramesh Chand, is a resident of Pekhari village in Tehsil Vijaypur, Samba district. He worked at a clothing store in Vijaypur before personal enmity reportedly drew him into criminal activity and brought him into contact with Goldy Dhillon. Also a Class 10 dropout, he has two prior FIRs registered against him at Vijaypur and Rajouri police stations, including charges of attempt to murder and Arms Act violations. A sophisticated pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from him.
Vansh Sharma (19), son of Yograj Sharma, is from Palli village in Tehsil Bari Brahmana, Samba district, and is a Class 12 pass who used to assist his father in his vegetable-selling business. Five live cartridges were recovered from him.
Stay away or face consequences: Chandigarh DGP
Speaking to The Tribune, Chandigarh DGP Dr Sagar Preet Hooda issued a stern warning to gangsters and criminal networks eyeing the city.
“Let this operation send an unambiguous message — Chandigarh is no place for gangsters and criminals. Whether it is the Goldy Brar-Goldy Dhillon nexus sitting abroad or their operatives on the ground, anyone who even thinks of using our city as a theatre for crime will be tracked down and neutralised before they can strike. You better stay away from Chandigarh, or be prepared to face the consequences,” Dr Hooda said. He added that the swift action in intercepting this second module, barely a week after the first was busted for the Sector 11 murder, demonstrated the force’s unrelenting vigil against organised crime. “Our teams thwarted a criminal conspiracy before it could claim another victim. This is the result of sustained intelligence-based policing, and I want to assure the residents of Chandigarh that we will continue to dismantle every such module, link by link, until the entire network behind these gangs is exposed and brought to justice,” he said.
Widening conspiracy
The arrests mark the second breakthrough in the Goldy Dhillon network within days, following the arrest of Sunny Mehra and Aryan Sharma for the Sector 11 cashier murder and their subsequent injury in a Thursday dawn encounter, with a third accused in that case, Amit Kumar, still absconding.
With this second module now in custody, investigators are expected to probe deeper into the wider Brar-Dhillon network, the source of the weapons and funding, and whether further modules remain active in Punjab or Jammu awaiting instructions.
