Spotlight
oi-Oneindia Staff
The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government has stepped up its campaign against drugs and organised crime, with the Punjab Police bringing back more than a dozen alleged gangsters from foreign countries, AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said on Tuesday.
The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government has intensified its campaign against crime, bringing back alleged gangsters like Karamveer Deo from Canada and Anmol Bishnoi from the US as part of initiatives like ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ and ‘Gansteraan Te Vaar’.
Pannu said the latest case involves Karamveer Singh alias Karamveer Deo, also known as Dev, who is described as a close associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. According to him, Deo was deported from Canada and arrested by the Punjab Police at Delhi airport before being taken into custody by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF).
Speaking at a press conference, Pannu said the state government’s campaigns, ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ and ‘Gansteraan Te Vaar’, have taken the fight against drugs and organised crime beyond Punjab.
“Since coming to power, the Bhagwant Mann Government has made the fight against drugs and gangsters a top priority. We have taken decisive action to dismantle criminal networks operating in Punjab and have pursued gangsters even when they fled abroad,” he said.
Pannu said gangsters brought back from other countries include Sachin Bishnoi, Manpreet Singh alias Pita, Ramanjit Singh alias Romi, Parminder Singh alias Pindi, Anmol Bishnoi, Amritpal alias Mehro, Gurvinder Singh and Jobandeep Singh alias Joban Billa.
According to Pannu, Anmol Bishnoi was brought back from the United States and is considered a major gangster and close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi. He said Amritpal alias Mehro, accused of murdering an Instagram influencer before fleeing abroad, was brought back from Dubai, while Gurvinder Singh was brought from Malaysia.
“Two days ago, the AGTF brought gangster Amritpal alias Amrit Dalam from Moldova. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met the team and appreciated its efforts,” Pannu said.
On Karamveer Deo, he said, “Karamveer Singh alias Karamveer Deo, also known as Dev, is a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi. He has been deported from Canada and is being brought to Punjab by the AGTF team after his arrest at Delhi airport.”
Pannu also targeted the Opposition over the issue of gangsterism in Punjab. He claimed the problem grew significantly between 2007 and 2017 and continued during the 2017-2022 Congress government.
“If we look at Punjab’s history of gangsterism, the phenomenon expanded significantly during the 2007-2017 period. This was the period when the word ‘gangster’ increasingly became part of Punjab’s public discourse,” he said.
He also alleged that the previous Congress government had brought a gangster from Uttar Pradesh to a Punjab jail and provided him VIP treatment. Pannu said the Uttar Pradesh Government later approached the Supreme Court seeking his return.
“The Opposition has little to offer the people of Punjab and is therefore trying to defame the Punjab Government by repeatedly raising issues without acknowledging the action being taken against organised crime,” he said.
Pannu said the Mann Government has modernised the Punjab Police with advanced technology and equipment to improve its ability to prevent crimes and track criminals.
“The Punjab Government has significantly strengthened and modernised the Punjab Police. This is not merely about providing better vehicles. We have equipped our personnel with advanced technology and equipment,” he said.
Referring to a recent Ludhiana encounter, Pannu said the police had information about a planned attack on a blood donation camp, which allowed them to intervene before the alleged attackers could carry out their plan.
He also said the Punjab Police is pursuing criminals hiding in countries where India does not have an extradition treaty.
“The Punjab Police is pursuing criminals even in countries with which India does not have an extradition treaty. At the same time, the cooperation of countries where these gangsters are hiding is also improving because such criminals have become a problem for those countries as well,” Pannu said.
He added that the government’s message was clear: “Punjab is in safe hands. Anyone who commits crime in Punjab and threatens its people will be pursued wherever they hide.”
