The recent grenade attack on a private hospital in Kalanaur after its owner allegedly refused to pay extortion money has once again brought organised crime networks operating in the Batala and Gurdaspur police districts under scrutiny.
The hospital proprietor had earlier been provided police security following threats from gangsters. However, the security cover was subsequently withdrawn after a reassessment of the threat perception.
“Our job is to assess the threat perception and then provide security to the targeted individual. We take a situational decision, meaning we assess the circumstances rather than rigidly follow a standard rule or a one-size-fits-all approach,” a senior police officer said.
Although police arrested the main suspect within six hours of the attack, the incident has highlighted the persistent challenge posed by extortion syndicates in the region.
Extortion cases, once considered isolated incidents, have increasingly become a recurring concern for law enforcement agencies. While Batala police had earlier succeeded in curbing coercion and blackmail to a significant extent, the menace has resurfaced in recent years.
Police officials attribute the resurgence to the activities of several gangsters operating from abroad, including Manu Agwan, Donny Bal, Jiwan Fauji, Amrit Dalam and Nishan Joriyan, as well as jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, who is currently lodged in a prison in Assam.
Investigators say these gangsters rely on local operatives, often referred to as “foot soldiers”, to intimidate businessmen and professionals and collect extortion money on their behalf. Operating from foreign countries or prisons allows them to remain insulated from direct law-enforcement action, making their criminal networks more difficult to dismantle.
Among them, Bhagwanpuria is considered one of the most influential. Police sources claim he continues to orchestrate criminal activities through associates despite being incarcerated. His mother, Harjit Kaur, was also allegedly involved in the gang’s operations before she was shot dead by members of a rival gang in a busy Batala locality in June 2025. Investigators said she had emerged as a powerful figure in the area and exercised considerable influence despite her son’s imprisonment.
An officer said the world of organised crime continues to attract some young people by offering an alternative route to power, wealth and local recognition.
Senior Superintendent of Police Mehtab Singh said police were intensifying efforts to dismantle extortion networks.
“We regularly launch coordinated crackdowns to freeze properties, dismantle criminal modules and arrest local operatives, also known as foot soldiers. We also encourage residents to report extortion threats directly to the police. In many cases, security is provided to those facing credible threats,” he said.
