Latest news with #GurjantSingh
Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Washingtonia from Kolkata to Punjab: With their ‘palms', brothers trio strike green gold
In an era where traditional farming often feels like a struggle for survival, three brothers from Tibbi Kalan in Ferozepur district of Punjab are defying the odds. Cousins Jaswinder Singh (34), Varinder Singh (36), and Gurjant Singh (35) have turned their land into a thriving business, earning a staggering Rs 1.5 crore from just one acre in four years (Rs 37.5 lakh per year per acre). Their secret? Palm tree farming — a practice virtually unheard of in the state. The trio, who owns around 8 acres of farmland each, used to grow wheat and paddy until 2017 when an out of the box idea transformed their lives. 'We've always been experimenting with new farming techniques. From flowers to mushrooms, we tried various options before settling on palm trees and naming the initiative 'The Palm garden Store' of Tibbi Kalan,' says Jaswinder Singh, a graduate. Initially, they procured palm saplings from Kolkata at Rs 37 per plant, including transportation costs. They started with two acres, where they planted 10,000 saplings of different varieties. They experimented with six to seven varieties, each on small sections to test which one suited the local soil and climate. They eventually found the perfect match — Washingtonian Palm trees. In 2019, they dedicated two acres to Washingtonia palms, which turned out to be a huge success. These palms, which grow up to 10 feet in height (including the leaves) in just 3.5 to 4 years, now fetch Rs 2,500 to Rs 2,800 per plant. After five years, the price increases to Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,500 per plant. Till date, they have sold 25,000 plants ranging from 3.5 to 5 years. By 2020, they expanded their operation, adding two more acres. With an ever-growing demand for palm trees, the farm now spans 9 acres, and two more acres are expected to be added before August. The brothers plant around 5,000 palm trees per acre and have ensured a steady cycle of harvesting and selling every six months. 'We are aiming to sell around 20,000 to 25,000 plants every six months by maintaining a proper rotation,' says Gurjant Singh, a postgraduate, adding that there is significant demand for this ornamental plant as greenery is now a prerequisite for every new locality. 'Initially, we were selling our plants to traders across Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and other parts of North India. But now, we've shifted to direct selling, which has been more profitable as it eliminates the middleman. We've received an order of one lakh palm trees from Dubai,' says Jaswinder, adding that with its ability to be uprooted and replanted easily, palm trees are in high demand for landscaping in new localities in India as well. Additionally, compared to date palms, which take 10-12 years to mature, palm trees can grow to an impressive height in just 4-5 years, making them a popular choice for quick greenery. This can be grown entire year except two extreme cold and hot months each in Punjab. 'Despite the challenges and the mistakes we have made, it has been a learning experience. We learnt that plants in one field must be cleared before replanting, as planting new trees where large plants already exist can hinder the growth of the new ones. Palm farming requires minimal input costs, with each acre's expenditure hovering around Rs 3.50 lakh but the returns are huge. The costs include plant purchase, transplantation, pruning, weed clearing, and irrigation. While palm trees require 20 irrigations a year, much of this is provided by rainwater during the monsoon, making the overall water consumption relatively low,' Varinder says. Jaswinder adds that they use very little fertilizer — just cow dung manure in the beginning. 'Once you plant the trees, you need to wait 3-4 years for them to gain height. Tall trees have a huge demand and excellent price, so they're definitely worth the wait,' he adds. The brothers have also started diversifying by introducing Bismarckia palms, which are in high demand for their silver-toned leaves and can be sold at Rs 10,000-15,000 per plant in the wholesale market, depending on size and age.
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi Police arrest 8 in crackdown on Gurjant ‘Janta' Gang
The inter-state cell of Delhi Police's crime branch has busted a major operational wing of the Gurjant Singh alias 'Janta' gang, arresting eight men — including shooters, arms suppliers, and facilitators — across Delhi and Haryana in connection with an extortion and firing case in Anand Vihar in early April. Sanjay Kumar Sain, additional commissioner of police (crime) said the arrests followed a firing on April 8 at a businessman's home in Anand Vihar after he received a ₹5 crore extortion demand via WhatsApp and international calls. The breakthrough came on May 2, when police intercepted a cab in Alipur, north Delhi, and arrested Sumit Ghangas from Panipat with 45 live rounds. He and his brother Rahul Ghangas — out on bail in an attempted murder case — were allegedly coordinating with Gurjant. Subsequent raids led to the arrest of six more men from Panipat, Karnal, and Ambala. The police recovered three semi-automatic pistols, two country-made weapons, 69 live cartridges, and multiple phones used for coordination. The gang comprised mostly semi-urban youth from Haryana, many in their early 20s with prior records or jail time. Rahul Ghangas allegedly orchestrated the April 8 firing. Others, including Saurav, Rahul Kashyap, Ashish Kumar, Rohit Kumar, Preetpal Singh, and Deepak Kumar, were involved in arms transfers, logistics, and motorcycle theft. Deputy commissioner of police Aditya Gautam said the case highlights the growing challenge of jailed or fugitive gangsters orchestrating crime remotely. 'Organised crime today is decentralised and tech-enabled. This operation has crippled a key limb of the Gurjant Singh gang,' he said.
India Gazette
15-05-2025
- India Gazette
Eight gang members of the Khalistan-linked gangster
New Delhi [India], May 15 (ANI): Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted an interstate gang of notorious gangster Gurjant Singh alias Janta gang, who is allegedly linked to Khalistan, arresting eight members of the gang and recovering a huge cache of arms and ammunition, said the police. Additional CP Crime Sanjay Kumar Sain told ANI that two gang members were involved in a recent firing incident at the house of a victim on the night of May 8 in Anand Vihar, Delhi, in pursuance of an extortion threat extended to the victim in the month of March 2025. The arrest of gang members has dealt a severe blow to one of the major networks of gangster Gurjant Singh alias Janta Gang based in Haryana. An incident of firing at the house of a local businessman in Anand Vihar, Delhi, took place on the night of 08 April. Prior to the said incident, the victim had received an extortion call from gangster Gurjant Singh alias Janta using an international number demanding Rs. 05 Crores, followed by subsequent calls and messages. It was revealed that the gang is based in Ambala, and the gang members are mainly from Ambala and other districts of Haryana. On 01.05.2025, specific input was received by the team that one of the gang members of the gangster Gurjant Singh gang had gone to Chandigarh to collect a huge consignment of arms and ammunition on the directions of Gurjant Singh alias Janta. Accordingly, in the morning of 2.05.2025, a trap was laid down in Alipur, Delhi, and a cab was intercepted around 9 AM on GT Road, Delhi. The car occupant, Sumit Ghangas r/o Village- Mandi, PS Israna, District Panipat (Haryana), was apprehended during whose search 45 live cartridges of 7.62 Bore were recovered. Accordingly, a case vide FIR dated 2.05.2025, u/s 25 Arms Act, PS Crime Branch was registered and investigation was taken up. Interrogation of accused Sumit ghangas revealed that his younger brother Rahul Ghangas was in regular touch with gangster Gurjant Singh alias Janta and had fired in Anand Vihar area in the night of 08.04.2025 on the instance of gangster Gurjant Singh in order to execute an extortion bid. He revealed that his brother Rahul Ghangas was earlier lodged in Panipat Jail in a case of attempt to murder, where he developed an association with an associate of Gurjant Singh alias Janta and got in touch with Gurjant Singh alias Janta through a social media application and WhatsApp after coming out of jail on bail. On 01.05.2025, on the instruction of his brother Rahul Ghangas, Sumit Ghangas, along with his associates Rohit and Ashish, visited Chandigarh in a cab, from where he collected the said consignment of live rounds. His brother Rahul Ghangas was taking instructions from Gurjant Singh alias Janta through WhatsApp calls. On the way back, he dropped his associates in Sonipat, Haryana. Accused Sumit Ghangas was taken on police custody remand. On 03.05.2025, a raid was conducted on his instance in a hotel in Karnal (Haryana), from where his associates Ashish, Rohit and his brother Rahul Ghangas were apprehended. 01 sophisticated pistol alongwith 05 live cartridges were recovered from the possession of accused Rahul Ghangas, 01 sophisticated pistol with 03 live cartridges were recovered from accused Ashish and 05 live cartridges were recovered from the possession of accused Rohit. All three accused were arrested in the case. During interrogation, it was revealed that he was lodged in Panipat Jail in an attempt to murder case, where a jail inmate provided him a social media ID of gangster Gurjant Singh alias Janta. He came out on bail in January 2025 and contacted Gurjant Singh alias Janta, who assigned him the task to fire at the house of a businessman in Anand Vihar, Delhi, to execute a plan of extortion from him. Gangster Gurjant Singh provided him arms and ammunition and some cash through another associate, and also provided the details of the said businessman. In order to execute the plan, Rahul Ghangas was accompanied by co-accused Saurabh through accused Rahul Kashyap. Both robbed a motorcycle on 07.04.2025 from the area of PS Israna, Distt. Panipat (Haryana) on gunpoint and visited Anand Vihar on the night of 08.04.2025, where they fired several rounds at the house of a businessman and fled. On 03.05.2025, the raid was conducted on the instance of accused persons and co-accused Rahul Kashyap and Saurabh were also arrested from Panipat, Haryana and a sophisticated pistol with ammunition was recovered from their possession. Both were also arrested and taken into police custody remand. During onward operation, on 05.05.2025, further raids were conducted in Ambala, Haryana, where other associates of the gang, namely Preetpal and Deepak @ Gola were also apprehended and one country-made pistol of .315 Bore with 01 live cartridge allegedly used in Anand Vihar firing was recovered from the possession of the accused Preetpal. Subsequently, during police custody remand, another country-made pistol was also recovered from Ambala in the case of the accused Deepak. (ANI)
India Today
15-05-2025
- India Today
Extortion gang busted in Delhi, 8 trained shooters with Khalistani links arrested
Delhi Police's Crime Branch has busted a major extortion gang linked to Khalistani elements and arrested eight trained shooters of the Gurjant Singh alias Junta gang. According to the police, these shooters operate on instructions from their handlers based in Canada, carrying out shootings and issuing threats as Commissioner of Police Sanjay Sen said that recently, shooters arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire outside a businessman's house in Anand Vihar. Soon after, a call demanding Rs 5 crore came from a UK-based number. The businessman was under security cover at the time of the incident, and security personnel were present inside the catch the culprits, Sen formed a 10-member team. The team scanned footage from around 200 CCTV cameras in the area and traced the motorcycle used in the the investigation, police found that Gurjant Singh alias Junta Lahoria was behind the firing incident. Gurjant, who is currently abroad, is running his gang remotely. He is the brother of notorious gangster Jaspreet Jassi. Both Jaspreet and his associate Bhullar were killed in an encounter in Kolkata in 2021 by Punjab Police and the West Bengal their deaths, Gurjant took over the gang's operations. He moved to Australia and then to Canada, from where he continues to operate. Reports suggest he has aligned himself with Khalistani groups in Canada and is said to be close to Arsh Dalla of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Dalla assumed leadership of KTF after the killing of Hardeep Singh to Delhi Police, Gurjant initially targeted businessmen in Punjab but has recently shifted focus to Delhi. He has established a dedicated extortion gang that does not hesitate to fire outside victims' homes to intimidate the Crime Branch has prevented the gang from establishing a base in Delhi, their links to pro-Khalistani outfits are a matter of concern. Police are investigating whether any understanding exists between the gang and such outfits, and if Arsh Dalla is leveraging Gurjant's network for his own police recovered five pistols and 70 live cartridges from the accused.
India.com
05-05-2025
- Politics
- India.com
India Pakistan war imminent? MHA announces mock drill on May 7, read details here
(File) New Delhi: Amid the volatile, unpredictable situation and tension between India and Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Union Home Ministry (MHA) on Monday, 05 May 2025, asked several states to conduct mock drills on Wednesday, May 7 for effective civil defence, government sources said. Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were massacred in the Pahalgam terror attack. The MHA sources said that the measures to be undertaken include operationalization of Air Raid Warning Sirens and training of civilians, students, among others on the civil defence aspects to protect themselves in the event of a hostile attack. The sources said measures also include the provision of crash blackout measures, provision for early camouflaging of vital installations and updation of the evacuation plan and its rehearsal. Earlier on Sunday, May 4, a 30-minute rehearsal for blackout was conducted in the entire Ferozpur Cantonment area of Punjab. The rehearsal was conducted on the guidelines of the Cantonment Board/Station Commander. 'The blackout was from 9 pm to 9:30 pm. As per the orders of the senior officers, lights were fully switched off. If any vehicle was found with its light turned on, it was turned off. Police are fully alert. Deployment has been made at all intersections,' said Gurjant Singh, SHO, Ferozepur Cantt Police Station. The blackout drill was carried at the border town out from 9 pm to 9:30 pm, Earlier, the Ferozepur Cantonment Board wrote to Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma about carrying out the blackout drill. 'You are requested to ensure adequate security arrangements during this period, given the total blackout. This rehearsal aims to ensure preparedness and effectiveness in implementing blackout procedures during prevailing war threats. Your support and cooperation are crucial in making this exercise successful,' the letter said. The Border Security Force (BSF) has intensified patrolling along the international border while Punjab Police has set up checkpoints at all strategic locations as a precautionary measure. The exercise will also involve the implementation of crash blackout measures, simulating a power-outage scenario to reduce visibility during potential air raids. Authorities have been instructed to ensure early camouflaging of vital installations and strategic infrastructure as part of the preparedness effort. Additionally, the drills will include the updating and rehearsal of evacuation plans to ensure a swift and orderly response in the event of an emergency.
