Gunfire at NRI’s house over ransom demand, police suspect Pakistan-based gangster’s involvement

Two unidentified bike-borne assailants opened fire outside the house of an NRI family in Aman Nagar here near Gulab Devi Road late Monday night in what appears to be a case of international extortion.

Police said the firing was allegedly carried out to intimidate the NRI’s family after ransom demands were made by a Pakistan-based gangster.

ACP North Aatish Bhatia confirmed that the house belongs to Jatinder, an NRI whose four sons are settled in Portugal.

“The firing appears to have been carried out to threaten the family following ransom demands made by gangsters,” he said.

An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act against unidentified persons. While sources suggest a ransom of nearly Rs 50 lakh was demanded, police officials have not confirmed the amount.

The attack came just five minutes after Jatinder’s mother, Charanjit Kaur, received a threatening phone call from an unknown number. The caller asked about someone named ‘Kaka Sandhu.’ When she denied knowing the individual, the caller reportedly threatened her, saying, “We will see what happens now.”

Moments later, multiple gunshots were fired outside the house.

CCTV footage shows two men on a motorcycle firing 10-12 rounds at the house before fleeing. The police later recovered four bullet shells from the spot.

On Tuesday, a video surfaced in which Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti claimed responsibility for the firing. An audio recording of Bhatti abusing and threatening Jatinder has also gone viral.

In the recording, Bhatti allegedly demanded ransom from Jatinder and warned of attacks on his family in Jalandhar and his restaurant business in Portugal. “First, I will kill your father,” Bhatti allegedly said during the heated exchange.

Charanjit Kaur told the police that she had previously received threats from Bhatti nearly a year ago, for which a complaint had also been filed.

Police officials said, “We are thoroughly investigating the viral audio and video linked to the Pakistani gangster. The initial probe suggests the firing was carried out to terrorize the family following the ransom demand.”

Jatinder’s parents and grandmother were present in the house at the time of the attack but escaped unharmed. The police said they are working to identify and arrest the shooters involved.