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Chandigarh: From gym buddies to biz associates, how a botched property deal led to a contract killing in posh Sector 9
Police say Amreen Rai, 50, a homemaker, turned to gangsters to eliminate property dealer Chamanpreet Singh alias Cheeni after suffering a loss of around ₹8 crore in a land deal facilitated by him
They worked out at the same gym, knew each other socially, and shared business dealings. But one botched property deal allegedly led to a chilling contract killing plot that has rocked Chandigarh.
Police say Amreen Rai, 50, a homemaker, turned to gangsters to eliminate property dealer Chamanpreet Singh alias Cheeni after suffering a loss of around ₹8 crore in a land deal facilitated by him. Cheeni was shot dead in broad daylight outside a gym in Sector 9 on March 18.
According to police, Rai comes from an affluent family. Her husband is an agriculturalist and arhtiya in Punjab, they own a one-kanal bungalow in Sector 35-A, and her brother-in-law is an additional director general of police (ADGP)-rank officer in Punjab. Though she is not technically a property dealer, police say she has bought and sold property in the Tricity area.
In 2025, Rai was allegedly looking to buy agricultural land in New Chandigarh. While an eight-acre parcel was on offer for ₹15 crore, Rai told Cheeni she could arrange only ₹8 crore. Cheeni allegedly assured her she could buy four acres for that amount. After Rai paid the money and got the registry done, she was later told the land would no longer be sold in parcels and was available only as a whole. She tried to get a refund, but failed.
Police officials said that in such property deals, black money is often involved, leaving the aggrieved party with limited legal remedies if the deal collapses. Feeling cheated and left with no options, Rai allegedly decided to take revenge.
She came in contact with Harshpreet Singh Bains, 27, another property dealer from Kaimbwala, who went to the same gym and knew Rai through mutual friends. Though Bains was not a gangster himself, police allege he helped Rai connect with various gangs to order a hit on Cheeni.
Police said suspicion fell on Rai only after Bains was arrested in an Arms Act case. He was found possessing a 0.45 mm weapon, which investigators later discovered belonged to Rai. Although the weapon was not used in the murder, it brought Rai under the police scanner and eventually led to her arrest as the alleged conspirator.
Had spoken to other gangs, tried to kill him in January
Police said Rai had spoken to other gangs too before finalising the deal with Lucky Patial’s gang. It is not yet clear how much she allegedly paid for the hit. Investigators said an attempt was also made to eliminate Cheeni in January, but the informer failed to relay his exact location, allowing him to escape.
Rai is currently in police custody. A police official familiar with the matter said the city usually sees cases of gangsters ordering hits on rival gangsters, but it is rare for a civilian to allegedly orchestrate such a killing.
A resident of Sector 35, requesting anonymity, said locals were shocked by the allegations and no one knew of Rai’s alleged links with gangsters.
