— PROBE REVEALS ARRESTED PERSONS’ LINKS WITH FOREIGN-BASED GANGSTERS NISHAN SINGH, SHERA MANN, AND SAJAN MASIH: DGP GAURAV YADAV
— ARRESTED ACCUSED WERE ENROUTE TO EXECUTE KILLING, WHEN CI PATHANKOT TEAM APPREHENDED THEM: AIG CI SUKHMINDER MANN
CHANDIGARH/PATHANKOT, August 26:
In an intelligence-led operation amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Pathankot has successfully averted a target killing by busting an organised crime module involved in multiple heinous crimes with the arrest of its four members including two juveniles, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.
The arrested, identified as Vishal Masih alias Dana, a resident of Pakhoke Tahli in Batala and Vishal William, a resident of village Pakhoke Mehmaran in Gurdaspur along with two juveniles, have been apprehended from the area of village Salimpur Afghana in Gurdaspur. Police teams have also recovered two .30 bore star mark pistols along with six live cartridges from their possession.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that arrested accused persons were working at the behest of foreign-based gangsters— Nishan Singh, Shamsher Singh alias Shera Mann alias Honey and Sajan Masih alias Goru. Important leads regarding other criminal activities across the state have also been unearthed, he said.
AIG CI Pathankot Sukhminder Singh Mann said that probe has also revealed that one of the arrested juveniles is the first cousin of Sajan Masih and handles transportation of weapons, explosives etc. at Sajan’s behest. Pertinently, Sajan Masih alias Goru is an absconder and wanted in a an attempt to murder and Arms Act case registered at Police Station Dera Baba Nanak in September 2023. After his arrest, Sajan had spent around two months in Gurdaspur jail and after getting bail, he managed to flee from India.
He said that during investigations, it has been revealed that one of the arrested juveniles conducted recce of Hardeep Singh, who was later murdered, in Dera Baba Nanak in January 2024. The juvenile was then sent to juvenile home, and after his release from juvenile home, he resumed his criminal activities.
Similarly, on August 14, 2025, arrested accused Vishal Masih along with one of the arrested juveniles travelled to Tanda, Hoshiarpur and fired gunshots at a property dealer in Hoshiarpur resulting in injuries. This crime was also committed at the behest of their foreign based handlers.
The AIG said that arrested Vishal Masih along with one of the juveniles had also conducted reccee of a Banga-based person on the instructions of Sajan and were on the way to execute killing, when the team of CI Pathankot apprehended them.
Further investigations are ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages in this case, he said, while adding that more arrests and recoveries are likely in coming days.
In this regard, a case FIR No. 47 dated 25.08.2025 has been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act and section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station SSOC Amritsar.
