Gangster Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha Duneke was shot dead by unknown men in Canada’s Winnipeg on Wednesday. Punjab Police sources told News 18 that Singh had joined pro-Khalistan forces and had fled to Canada from Punjab in 2017. He hailed from Punjab’s Moga district.
Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi claimed responsibility for Sukhdool’s killing in Canada, NDTV reported.
SSP Moga J Elanchezhian said Sukhdool’s “uncle and his daughter have given information about his death” and informed that police are verifying the details.
According to reports, Duneke was killed in an inter-gang rivalry. Top Intelligence sources told News 18 that these killings are due to inter-gang rivalry between groups. “These groups want to own the Khalistani movement for the sake of money,” sources were quoted as saying.
Sources added that this is nothing but an attempt to control immigration business. “They hire local gangsters to kill these people because their utility is over. Another fear is they will disclose everything they have done in India on behalf of these gangsters,” sources said, adding that Khalistani groups exploiting emotions and compulsions of youth and spreading fake narrative.
Who is Sukhdool Singh?
Sukha was a ‘Category A’ gangster whose name figured in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) wanted list released on Wednesday as the agency intensified its crackdown on Khalistani terrorists, news agency PTI reported. SSP Moga J Elanchezhian said that as per poloice’ record, 15-16 cases are registered against him.
Hailing from Duneke Kalan village in Punjab’s Moga district, the gangster fled to Canada in December 2017, official sources said.
Duneke was reportedly aiding, funding and strengthening the Devinder Bambiha gang in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan. “He was also inclined towards the pro-Khalistan outfits, but, mostly made calls for extortions and indulges in ‘supari’ killings,” sources told News18.
The Canada-based gangster had at least 18 cases against him including those for murder, attempt to murder and robbery. “In the last few months, the number of extortion calls made by Duneke had increased considerably in Punjab and neighbouring areas,” sources told news agency PTI
Duneke was closely associated with Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Arsh Dalla, gangster Lucky Patial, Malaysia-based gangster Jackpal Singh alias Lali and other criminals.
In January, two of Duneke’s associates — Kulwinder Singh alias Kinda and Paramjeet Singh Pamma — were arrested by the counter-intelligence wing (Bathinda) and three pistols and cartridges seized from their possession. The two men were part of the extortion racket run by Duneke.
After his father died in 1990, Duneke got a peon’s job at the Moga deputy commissioner’s office on compassionate ground. During the eight years he continued with the job, he became addicted to drugs, the sources said. A lookout circular was issued against Duneke in 2022.
His name had also figured in connection with the killing of international kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian in March last year. He was accused of arranging the shooters for the killing.
Duneke’s name also cropped up following the killing of two rival gang members — Manpreet Singh and Vicky Singh — by the shooters of the Bambiha gang in January 2022.
Earlier on Thursday, raids against gangsters and Khalistani elements were underway across Punjab by the state police, news agency ANI reported. These raids were conducted in Moga, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran and Amritsar rural to nab the close aides of gangster Goldy Brar.
Sukhdool Singh’s killing was reported as the tension between India and Canada escalated following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of “potential” involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.
Trudeau’s claims unleashed a diplomatic row with India rejecting the charges as “absurd” and “motivated” and kicking out a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official.
