Washington: The US police have confirmed that Goldy Brar, suspected of orchestrating Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala's murder, is not dead after several media reports claimed that the Canada-based Brar was one of the two persons shot dead in a shooting incident in California. Brar, who has been designated as a terrorist by the Indian government, was reportedly one of the two individuals attacked in a shooting incident at Fairmont and Holt Avenue in Fresno on Tuesday after an altercation.
The Fresno police department in California on Wednesday denied reports that Goldy Brar was murdered in the incident. "If you are inquiring because of the online chatter claiming that the shooting victim is ‘Goldy Brar’, we can confirm that this is absolutely not true," Lieutenant William J. Dooley told news agency IANS.
Misinformation spread on social media: US police
"We have received inquiries from around the world this morning as a result of misinformation being spread on social media and online news agencies. We are not sure who started this rumour, but it caught on and spread like wildfire. But again, it isn’t true. The victim is definitely not Goldy," he added. The police have not yet identified the two persons who were attacked, one of whom died at a hospital later. The other person was released from the hospital after treatment.
As per reports, the two people were attacked on Tuesday and the younger of the duo, in his 30s, was shot in the upper body and he later succumbed to his wounds at the hospital. The other man was hit in the lower part of the body and was released from the hospital after treatment. However, the rumours of the deceased person being Goldy Brar flooded social media.
Who is Goldy Brar?
Satwinder Singh alias Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar came into the limelight following the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. He is also accused of demanding a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from rapper Honey Singh. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declared him a terrorist on January 1, 2024.
A red corner notice was issued against Brar by INTERPOL Secretariat General (IPSG), Lyon, France. It is believed that the Canada-based gangster was involved in smuggling high-grade arms, ammunition and explosive materials through drones from across the border and supplying them to sharpshooters to carry out killings. He is friends with notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently in jail.
Satinderjit Singh 'Goldy' Brar is accused of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and weapons trafficking. Brar is accused of committing these crimes while being in Canada and is still believed to be in Canada. He represents a risk to public safety and is currently under investigation, but is not charged with any criminal offences in Canada, according to an official release by the Canada High Commission in New Delhi.
Brar is also associated with the banned Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International. Born in 1994, he hails from Sri Muktsar Sahib in Punjab. His father was a police inspector but he chose a life of crime after the murder of his cousin Gurlej Brar and has been implicated in several cases. He obtained a student visa and fled to Canada, and has been operating criminal activities in Punjab since.
(with inputs from agencies)
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