Gangster Goldy Dhillon has been arrested in the Spanish capital Madrid. Spanish security agencies took him into custody after receiving inputs from Punjab's Anti Gangster Task Force. Indian investigating agencies had been running an operation for a long time to track him down abroad, and that effort has finally paid off. Dhillon had reportedly been holed up in Madrid, evading detection for a stretch, but persistent monitoring and intelligence sharing by Punjab agencies eventually led Spanish authorities straight to him.
Linked to the Chandigarh murder case
Goldy Dhillon is accused of masterminding the shooting death of Jankidas, a cashier at Shri Kumar Medical Hall in Sector 11, Chandigarh, on 13 June. Since that killing, Punjab Police and other agencies had been actively hunting for his whereabouts.
Once an ally, now Lawrence Bishnoi's bitter rival
Goldy Dhillon was once part of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's gang. A falling out between the two later turned him into Bishnoi's fierce opponent. According to investigating agencies, Dhillon's name surfaced in connection with several shooting incidents in Canada. He is also named as an accused in multiple organised crime cases within Punjab, underlining that his network stretched well beyond India's borders.
A 10 lakh and 5 lakh bounty, with NIA also on his trail
Goldy Dhillon is also a wanted accused with the National Investigation Agency, which had announced a reward of 10 lakh rupees for information leading to his arrest. Punjab Police, separately, had put up a reward of 5 lakh rupees on him. Combined, the two bounties added up to 15 lakh rupees, a figure that underscores just how seriously agencies were pursuing him.
Extradition process could begin next
Sources indicate that Indian agencies may soon start the legal process for Goldy Dhillon's extradition back home. Should that process go through, he could be questioned over multiple crimes and gang war incidents across Punjab and other states. Investigating agencies are hopeful his interrogation could yield crucial information that helps them close in on other gangsters.
The 24 year old India-Spain extradition treaty
The extradition treaty between India and Spain was signed in Madrid back in 2002. The treaty provides both countries a legal framework to tackle terrorism, organised crime and other serious offences, and to bring fugitive criminals to justice. It officially came into full force in 2003, meaning India has a solid legal basis to pursue Goldy Dhillon's extradition.
