Batala youth arrested for threat to MP Randhawa’s son on Instagram

The Batala police arrested a youngster who had allegedly threatened Udayveer Singh Randhawa, son of Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, on social media platform.

SSP Suhail Qasim Mir said Udayveer had uploaded a video on his social media platform in response to which Gagandeep Singh had made a “threatening comment” under the Instagram ID “Gagan Randhawa”. He was arrested from the Gulmarg Avenue area of Amritsar on Saturday morning. His native village falls in the jurisdiction of Ghanian-Ke-Bangar police station of Batala police district.

The police collaborated with Instagram’s law enforcement coordination team and pinpointed the Internet Protocol (IP) address and login credentials of Gagandeep. Based on technical surveillance and digital analysis, the accused’s location was identified and he was arrested in the wee hours of Saturday.

The police reportedly acted with urgency after the MP took up the matter at the ‘highest levels’ in New Delhi.

The SSP said they were trying to ascertain whether Gagandeep had any links with gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria.

Sukhjinder Randhawa claimed that his son had been receiving threats from the gangster. “We are still investigating the case. Gagandeep’s mobile phone has been sent for a forensic examination. An FIR has already been registered in the matter,” said the SSP.

A senior officer said the police were investigating Friday’s firing incident in Fatehgarh Churian. “We are very close to nabbing the two motorcycle-borne miscreants,” he said.

In this case too, cops have not established any link to Bhagwanpuria. A majority of extortion calls made to prominent people of Batala city are reportedly the brainchild of Bhagwanpuria.

The SSP said repeated written communications were sent to the authorities of the Silchar jail in Assam, where Bhagwanpuria was lodged, seeking strict monitoring and enforcement protocols.

Randhawa’s family members fear that they may be targeted by Bhagwanpuria or his henchmen.