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Turf wars, extortion demands turn tricity into gangland
Nine incidents of firing and extortion since November as Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, and Bambiha syndicates fight for dominance
Nine incidents of firing and extortion since November as Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, and Bambiha syndicates fight for dominance.
The streets and business corridors of the tricity are increasingly falling under the shadow of organised crime.
Rival networks, including the Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, and Davinder Bambiha gangs, have intensified turf battles, extortion demands, and targeted shootings in recent months. Far from isolated incidents, police and traders describe the spate of violence as a coordinated power struggle for regional dominance. Since November 2025, the region has witnessed nine high-profile cases of firing and extortion.
High-security breaches
The escalating gangster imprint reached a flashpoint on January 28 in Mohali, when an undertrial, Gurvinder Singh, was gunned down in broad daylight outside the Mohali SSP and DIG offices, a high-security zone. Two motorcycle-borne assailants fired at point-blank range before fleeing. Police have named Canada-based Goldy Brar in the FIR, while a social media claim by the Brar-Rohit Godara faction cited the hit as a reprisal in a long-standing feud.
The violence has also spilled into the local sports sector. On December 15, 2025, kabaddi promoter Kanwar Digvijay Singh, alias Rana Balachauria, was murdered during a match in Mohali to establish gang control over regional tournaments. Similarly, on December 1, Inderpreet Singh Parry was shot dead on a busy road in Sector 26, Chandigarh. Once a Bishnoi associate, Parry was branded a traitor in viral audio clips for allegedly shifting allegiances and extorting businesses on behalf of rival factions.
Extortion economy
Beyond the gunfights, a sophisticated economic intimidation racket is targeting the tricity’s affluent. In January alone, Mohali reported three major extortion cases. US-based gangster Pawan Shaukeen (Bambiha gang) allegedly demanded ₹5 crore from Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parvinder Singh Sohana, while Punjabi singer B-Praak was served a ₹10-crore demand via an associate.
Chandigarh’s real estate and retail sectors are equally besieged. On January 15, shots were fired at the Sector 21 residence of Gurgaon-based builder Ankit Sidana, followed by a ₹5-crore demand from the Kaushal Chaudhary syndicate. That same night, masked men targeted Sewak Pharmacy in Sector 32. Investigators later arrested four individuals, including a private lab owner who allegedly acted as an informant for the shooters. The crackdown led to a rare pre-dawn encounter near Sector 39 on January 21, where two suspects were shot in the legs before being apprehended.
On November 7, two unidentified men fired over 30 rounds outside the house of a retired Punjab irrigation department officer in Phase 7, Mohali, leaving behind a slip bearing the name Kala Rana. The same group had earlier targeted music producer Pushpinder Dhaliwal, with police confirming extortion as the motive.
Transnational links
Police sources reveal an operational synergy: Overseas handlers coordinate via WhatsApp and international numbers, while local foot soldiers execute the ground attacks. “The Bishnoi network continues to influence operations from jails or abroad, while the Bambiha gang is aggressively expanding its footprint into traditional Bishnoi-Brar territories,” a senior officer said.
In response, Chandigarh Police have classified gang members into three tiers: Active gangsters, accomplices, and abettors. The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) has stepped up operations, resulting in the recent neutralisation of operatives like Karan Pathak, alias Defaulter, in Kharar and Harpinder Singh ‘Middu’ in Lalru encounters.
Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur says: “We are maintaining close, regular coordination with the AGTF and neighbouring state agencies to ensure seamless intelligence sharing and joint operations against these syndicates.”
