Police reveal key details of 'Operation Shahid' on Gurvinder Afridi's deportation

Punjab Police Director General Gaurav Yadav stated that a 10-month-long 'Operation Shahid' was launched to nab the accused, Gurvinder Singh alias Afridi, who was brought from Ethiopia. According to him, this is Punjab Police's first successful operation to get a fugitive deported from an African country.

Addressing a press conference at the police headquarters, the DGP stated that the accused had fled from the Mumbai airport to the UAE on March 31, 2025. For this, he had used a fake passport made in another person's name from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the police, the accused tried to reach Mexico from the UAE via Istanbul, but was sent back to the UAE. Following this, he went to Kenya during April 2026 and then reached Ethiopia in November via Angola.

The DGP stated that Punjab Police had got a Red Corner Notice and seven Interpol references issued against the accused. Due to this continuous follow-up, he was caught inside Ethiopia on November 6, 2026, and sent to India, where a police team took him under its surveillance at the New Delhi airport.

This campaign was successfully completed under the supervision of IGP Counter Intelligence Ashish Chaudhary and the leadership of SP Bikramjit Singh Brar, in coordination with central investigative agencies and the Ministry of External Affairs.

The police allege that this main kingpin of the Doni Ball-Prabhu Dasuwal gang was wanted in more than 30 heinous crimes, including five murders, and a reward of Rs 5 lakh was announced for information about him. Nothing has yet been proved in court.

Key developments

• Punjab Police brought back gangster Gurvinder Afridi from Ethiopia under 'Operation Shahid'
• The accused had fled abroad in 2025 using a fake passport made in Lucknow
• The accused was nabbed in Ethiopia on November 6 after Kenya and Angola
• Punjab Police took the accused into custody at the New Delhi airport