Killed in Canada, Sukha quit Punjab govt job to enter world of crime, left India on tourist visa

An alleged ally of the Davinder Bambiha gang, Sukha had at least 16 cases against him including those for murder, attempt to murder and robbery. His killing came a day after his name figured in a list of 43 persons released by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly being involved in terror-related activities. In a social media post, jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi claimed responsibility for Sukha’s murder.

At his native village Duneke in Moga, villagers congregated at his home, where now lives his paternal uncle Hakam Singh with wife Surjit Kaur. The discussion mostly centred around on how and when, Sukha turned into “a Khalistani” and an associate of criminals like Bambiha and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla.

A relative Sukhmandar Singh recalled that Sukha was just four when his father Naib Singh, who was a diesel tanker driver, was shot dead by terrorists in 1989 during militancy period in Punjab. “Naib Singh was returning home when a group of militants opened fire near Chand village on Kotkapura road killing him at the spot. Sukha was raised by his mother,” said Sukhmandar.

Sukha was granted a government job as a class-4 employee in deputy commissioner’s office under the terrorism victims’ quota policy, but did not work there for more than 3-4 years.

“He was booked for attempt to murder after he tried to settle a a land dispute in Faridkot. That was probably the first major criminal case filed against him. He left for Canada in 2017. At that time, he only had FIRs for petty clashes registered against him. We have no idea how he got involved in hardcore criminal activities after moving to Canada,” added Sukhmandar.

As per the police, Sukha’s sister, who is settled in Canada after marriage, sponsored his visit on a tourist visa in 2017. He never returned. He also took his mother to Canada.

“After his name was included in list of wanted gangsters, he had stopped calling the family members in Duneke. Even in Canada, he was living separately from his mother and sister and would rarely talk to them,” he added.

Karamjit Singh, another family elder, said that he feels hurt when Sukha is termed a “Khalistani” by TV news channels. “Our family never followed Khalistani ideology. We have no idea how he developed links with these gangsters and terrorists after going to Canada. In the village, he never did wrong to anyone. He would in fact go to settle matrimonial and other disputes of others amicably,” said Karamjit Singh.

The police, however, have a different story. Moga SSP J Elanchezhian said that Sukha was booked in at least 16 FIRs including that for attempt to murder, clash, extortion, criminal intimidation among others and was a close aide of KTF operative Arsh Dalla. He was also named an accused in the killing of kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian, besides running several extortion rackets from Canada.

In June last year, Ludhiana police had busted an extortion racket, allegedly being run by Sukha, in connivance with some jail inmates who demanded Rs 3 crore from a businessman. That same month, a commission agent in Moga also filed a complaint alleging he got threat calls from Sukha.

In an FIR registered in June last year, Moga police booked Sukha and two of its own personnel for “helping him in “getting a passport illegally and fleeing to Canada” by not “doing proper verification of his criminal history.”

Then Moga SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana had said: “Sukha was booked in atleast seven cases when he applied for passport in 2017. However, the probe has found that his police verification was not done properly and two cases in which he was declared a proclaimed offender were not mentioned in his criminal history report submitted by the police. He fled to Canada after getting a passport.”

Sukha comes from a family of well-off farmers. They reportedly own around 15 acres of land, which was split between his father and his uncle.

With Jagdeep Singh Deep Mohali