Main suspect involved in Mehatpur JK Restaurant shootout case arrested

In a major breakthrough against organised crime, the Jalandhar (Rural) police have arrested Gurvinder Singh, leader of the Rocky Fazilka gang, who was wanted in multiple high-profile cases, including the Mehatpur shootout and the Rs 20-crore NRI kidnapping case.

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His arrest follows a meticulously planned operation by the district police, culminating in a 210-km pursuit. The suspect, Gurvinder Singh, a resident of MC Colony, Fazilka, became leader of the infamous Rocky Fazilka gang, after the demise of its founder. He is linked to several violent crimes, including orchestrating the shootout at JK Restaurant in Mehatpur on December 22, 2024, in which his gang members attempted to intimidate a business owner over financial disputes.

Gurvinder was also the key figure in kidnapping of Nachhatar Singh, an NRI, for Rs 20 crore ransom in 2020. Earlier, three of Gurvinder’s accomplices — Paramjit Singh, alias Mor Sidhu, Hira Singh, alias Gurpradeep Singh, and Sunil Kumar, alias Sonu Kamboj, — were arrested and a .32-bore revolver and a Maruti SX4 car used in the crime was recovered from them.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh said on December 22, 2024, Gurvinder Singh and his gang carried out an attack at JK Sweet Shop and Restaurant in Mehatpur around 4.45 am. The gang fired multiple rounds at the restaurant owner, causing panic in the area before fleeing from the spot. A case was registered under various sections of the BNS and the Arms Act at the Mehatpur police station in this connection. The police teams, led by Sub-Inspector Amandeep Verma and Inspector Sukhdev Singh, coordinated the operation based on intelligence gathered from surveillance and forensic evidence recovered from the crime spot, the SSP said.

The police teams traced the suspect through CCTV footage, while tracking the vehicle used in the crime over 210 km, which ultimately led to Gurvinder’s arrest, the SSP said.

The SSP said Gurvinder’s gang was involved in heinous crimes such as contract killings, extortion and heroin smuggling. The timely arrest of the suspect averted potential future crimes, he added.

The operation resulted in the recovery of three illegal firearms, including pistols and a 12-bore double-barrel shotgun, along with live ammunition, he said. The vehicle used in these crimes was also impounded during the operation, the SSP added.

During interrogation, it was revealed that Gurvinder had been actively involved in extortion, contract killings and land disputes in Punjab and Rajasthan. His gang operated as a sophisticated network and was responsible for instilling fear and insecurity among residents of the region.

The suspect was previously booked under various cases, including multiple sections of the IPC and the Arms Act. Gurvinder was remanded to police custody and further investigations were underway to dismantle the gang’s remaining network and recover more weapons, the SSP said.

Efforts were on to identify and apprehend other accomplices involved in criminal activities linked to the gang, the SSP added.