Tarn Taran police book Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh Landa for demanding Rs 50 lakh from local man

Gurbax Puri

Tarn Taran, March 29

Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh Landa has been booked by the Tarn Taran police for demanding Rs 50 lakh from a local.

Gurdial Singh Sidhu of Master Colony, in his complaint to the police, alleged that Landa sent him WhatsApp and voice messages from various mobile numbers from September 27 last year to March 7 this year, demanding the money.

He alleged that Landa warned him saying “in case you don’t oblige your family would be eliminated”.

Landa has around 20 criminal cases, including demanding ransom, murder, attempt to murder, firing and under the NDPS Act, registered against him in various police stations across the state.

Hailing from Harike village in Tarn Taran, Landa was the mastermind in a double murder case in which two Akali workers were shot dead at Patti on May 27 last year. The Tarn Taran police had written to the Centre for issuing a red-corner notice against him.

He ran an ‘arhtiya’ shop at Harike before escaping to Canada years ago after committinga number of crimes. It is his third attempt at demanding ransom from various locals in three months.

SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana was not available for comment.