A multi-agency investigation has led to the arrest of 17 people — including mafia members “wanted in India” — mostly members of the local Sikh community, in connection with 11 shootings, including one at a gurdwara in Sacramento, and have seized assault weapons in a series of raids carried out over 20 places, authorities have announced.
Law enforcement officials in Northern California on Monday said members of these groups were allegedly involved in a mass shooting at a Stockton Sikh temple where five men were shot outside the Gurdwara on August 27, 2022, and a shooting at a Sacramento
Sikh temple on March 23, 2023, where two men were
shot.
The 17 felony arrests, primarily members of the local Sikh community, were made during a large-scale operation with agents executing search warrants at 20 locations in Northern California on Sunday, according to an announcement made by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Yuba City Police Chief Brian Baker, and Sutter County District Attorney Jennifer Dupre. Police seized 42 guns, such as AK-47s, handguns, and at least one machine gun, Dupre said.
At a news conference, Dupre said, two of the people arrested are mafia members who are “wanted on a number of murders” in India. The arrested members, said California Attorney General, are part of rival criminal syndicates alleged to be responsible for numerous violent crimes and shootings, including five attempted murders, in Sutter, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Yolo, and Merced counties.
Throughout the investigation, known as Operation Broken Sword, 41 firearms were confiscated from suspects. A press release said that law enforcement was able to prevent two additional shootings from occurring.
“Today, California is safer thanks to collaboration, determination, and swift action by DOJ agents and our law enforcement partners in Sutter County,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. He said there is more to be done to prevent gun violence.
The CM was addressing a programme here which was organised to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Centre for the establishment of textile parks in Lucknow and Hardoi districts spread over an area of 1,000 acre. The MoU was signed under the PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM Mitra) scheme. Union Textiles Minister Piyush Goyal was also present at the event.
Yogi also said Uttar Pradesh today has the “most favourable” environment to set up enterprises, asserting that the government is capable of safeguarding the interests and the capital of the investors, according to an official statement.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for choosing UP under the Centre’s ambitious PM Mitra scheme, Yogi said, “This move is a step towards re-establishing the UP’s ancient glory and towards making the state the ‘new textile hub’ of the country.”
“As a result of the efforts in the last six years, the state received investment proposals worth over Rs 35 lakh crore and Team UP is moving forward with these programmes in a time-bound manner to bring
an investment of up to Rs 10 lakh crore on the ground,” he said.
He also said that UP has its own policy for textiles and garments, and the government is making every effort to take the state forward in terms of ease of doing business.
