In a major development in Punjab’s continuing crackdown on transnational organized crime, infamous gangster Jobanjit Singh Billa was on Monday produced before a local court in Amritsar under a heavy, multi-layered security cover and remanded to eight days of police custody.
Billa, who had evaded law enforcement agencies for a long time while hiding abroad, was taken before the court of Baba Bakala Sahib on murder case 94/2024 registered at Beas police station. The local prosecution and investigating teams at Beas police station formally asked for an 11-day police remand to interrogate the high-profile fugitive, investigate criminal networks and recover potential weapons or illicit assets. After extensive arguments from both sides, the presiding magistrate granted an eight-day police remand.
Successful Extradition via 'Operation Nomad Hunt'. Legal proceedings in Punjab follow the high-profile international extradition of Billa from Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 25. The complex operation was successfully executed by the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Punjab Police working closely with Interpol, the Ministry of External Affairs and other central intelligence agencies.
Over the weekend, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav hailed Billa's return as a watershed moment against cross-border organized crime syndicates. Billa was wanted in four separate murder charges, multiple counts of attempted murder and serious offenses under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Arms Act, DGP Yadav said. The fugitive had been traveling around the world to evade the long arm of the law.
The capture and extradition were the successful culmination of Operation Nomad Hunt— a six-month-long international manhunt that involved high-level intelligence gathering, continuous monitoring and seamless coordination between domestic law enforcement and global agencies.
Legal representation and next steps. Billa’s defense counsel, Advocate Gobind Singh Randhawa, confirmed to media personnel that the prosecution had pushed for an 11-day custodial interrogation window, which the court cut down to eight days.
The Beas Police and AGTF units with special jurisdiction over Billa will question him closely in the next week. With the clock winding down on his police remand, authorities want to discover his international escape routes, financial sources and local operatives in the state to ensure all aspects of his scheme are thoroughly dismantled.
