Gangster-turned-political leader Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, 38, whose induction into the Aam Aadmi Party has triggered a political controversy, has a long criminal history spanning more than a decade.
Police records show 49 criminal cases registered against him, while a detailed criminal dossier available with Hindustan Times lists around 45 cases and FIRs involving allegations ranging from murder and attempt to murder to extortion, robbery, kidnapping, conspiracy and offences under the Arms Act, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
While bringing him into the AAP fold, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday defended his transformation without directly dwelling on his criminal history. “Circumstances may sometimes compel a person to take certain decisions, but when someone chooses the right path and dedicates himself to public service, people accept and support him,” Mann said.
Sekhon was first booked in 2012 under the Arms Act. According to an earlier police account, he subsequently became associated with the Jaipal Bhullar gang and later emerged as a close associate of several prominent Punjab gangsters. He was also associated with the gang led by Shera Khubban and later with Vicky Gounder.
Police records reveal that Sekhon had associations with 108 criminal associates, including Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda. In 2021, both Sekhon and Rinda were booked by the Mohali SSOC for extortion. The criminal cases listed in the dossier paint a picture of a career involving repeated allegations of violent and organised crime. Among the offences invoked in the FIRs are Sections 302 and 307 of the Indian Penal Code (murder and attempt to murder), 384 (extortion), 392/395 (robbery/dacoity), 364 (kidnapping), 386 (extortion with threat of death or grievous hurt), criminal conspiracy, rioting and offences under the Arms Act. There are also cases under the UAPA.
In 2013, Sekhon was active in Rajasthan and was booked in four cases, including a murder bid case in Kota City and a robbery in Tibbi, Hanumangarh. In 2023, he was booked for murder in Hoshiarpur. In 2025, Sekhon was booked in an FIR related to violation of the code for the panchayat polls. However, it is not clear how many cases are still pending against him in court.
{{/usCountry}}In 2013, Sekhon was active in Rajasthan and was booked in four cases, including a murder bid case in Kota City and a robbery in Tibbi, Hanumangarh. In 2023, he was booked for murder in Hoshiarpur. In 2025, Sekhon was booked in an FIR related to violation of the code for the panchayat polls. However, it is not clear how many cases are still pending against him in court.
{{/usCountry}}Named in Sukha Kahlwan murder but later acquitted
Sekhon first shot into notoriety with the sensational 2015 murder of gangster Sukha Kahlwan, who was shot dead while being transported in a police vehicle near Phagwara. Sekhon was named as a key accused in the case.
Police accounts described Sekhon as a member of the rival gang and one of the main accused in the Kahlwan murder case. He was arrested in March 2016 but was later acquitted as the police personnel who were witnesses in the case failed to recognise him during the trial.
Nabha jailbreak ‘plotter’
According to police, Sekhon is one of the plotters in the November 2016 Nabha high-security jailbreak, when an armed group attacked the prison, enabling six inmates to escape. Besides Sekhon, others who fled were Vicky Gounder, Kulpreet Singh Neeta Deol, Amandeep Singh Dhotian, and Khalistan Liberation Force-linked inmates Harminder Singh Mintoo and Kashmir Singh.
According to the police investigation, Sekhon planned the jailbreak from inside the prison, while his associates outside executed the attack. His cousin Manvir Sekhon and Rajwinder Singh alias Raja Sultan were among those allegedly involved in the assault.
Sekhon’s crime dossier also records a 2016 Nabha case involving attempt to murder, rioting, obstruction of public servants, escape from custody and Arms Act offences, apart from the UAPA provisions invoked in the wider jailbreak investigation.
The case ultimately resulted in the conviction of 22 accused. Sekhon, Neeta Deol and Amandeep Dhotian, all three of whom had escaped from the jail and were subsequently recaptured, were among those convicted. They were sentenced to 10-years imprisonment.
Sekhon was released from jail on November 22, 2023, after the Punjab and Haryana high court suspended his conviction while hearing his appeal against the trial court verdict. His appeal is pending.
Transition as social worker
In recent years, Sekhon has attempted to project himself as a reformed man and social worker. His supporters say he has arranged marriages of poor girls, contributed towards local road construction and distributed ration, cattle feed and relief material during floods. They also claim that he has had no new criminal case in the past three years.
Before joining the AAP, he was active in the Ferozepur-Zira belt and had expressed his intention to enter electoral fray ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. Independents backed by Sekhon in the local body polls were also supported by the local Akali Dal leadership.