Who is gangster Goldy Brar, a wanted fugitive in India?

Satinder Singh aka Goldy Brar is a close associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, and a key accused in the murder of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moosewala.

A native of Faridkot district in Punjab, Brar is said to have fled to Canada after being implicated in the murder of Youth Congress leader Gurlal Pehalwan. With Bishnoi lodged in Tihar Jail, Brar is allegedly running the Bishnoi gang remotely through a module in Punjab.

In May 2022, Brar made headlines by claiming responsibility for Moosewala’s murder.

Singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, was gunned down in Punjab's Mansa district on May 29, 2022, when he was travelling in a jeep with two others. Six shooters had sprayed bullets on his waylaid vehicle.

In a social media post, Brar claimed that Moosewala was shot dead in retaliation for the murder of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Vicky Middukhera. Earlier, their rival Bambiha gang had taken responsibility for Muddukhera’s murder.

A court in Mansa on Wednesday framed charges against Bishnoi and 26 others in the Moosewala murder case. Brar is yet to be arrested, and charges have not been framed against him.

Bishnoi gang also claimed responsibility for the firing outside actor Salman Khan's Mumbai home on April 14. In 2023, Goldy Brar issued a death threat against Khan, calling the Bollywood star his next target after Moosewala.

India designated Brar a terrorist under the anti-terror law UAPA in January, and issued a Red Corner Notice with the Interpol.

In addition to murder and extortion, Brar is accused of involvement in smuggling of high-grade arms, ammunition and explosives across the border through drones. According to the Home Ministry, Brar has ties with the banned terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International, held responsible for raising terror modules, carrying out targeted killings and other anti-national activities.

The Fresno Police Department in California on Thursday clarified that Goldy Brar was not killed in a shootout the previous night, quelling a whirlwind of rumours on social media.