Village boys with guns.Hits ordered from distant shores.
Flashy music videos. Social media hype.
Music stars in the crosshairs. Celebrity-like gangsters.
Drugs. Politics. Entertainment. Terror.

From the killing of Sidhu Moosewala to attacks linked to Gippy Grewal, and threats to Salman Khan, violence is no longer an act—it is a message. Punjab’s organized crime has mutated into cartel-style international syndicates, with wanton killings and an endless cycle of revenge.

Gangs of Punjab enters this ruthless underworld, tracing the rise of men who blur the line between outlaw and icon. Their rise comes at a deadly price, leaving behind a trail of bodies; but their fall is as dramatic and often fatal, sometimes at the hands of close confidantes. For those who survive betrayals, the relentless Punjab Police lie waiting.

In this cat-and-mouse game, nobody walks away clean.

The book uncovers how Punjab’s gangs evolved from local groups into international syndicates. The role of social media, music videos, and celebrity culture in enhancing criminal visibility. It describes links between organized crime, drugs, politics, and entertainment. It tries to explain why targeted killings have become instruments of signalling and revenge. It delves deep into the internal rivalries, betrayals, and violent downfalls within gang networks. Ultimately, how law enforcement responds to a constantly mutating criminal ecosystem.

Curiously the book tries to explain organized crime as a social and cultural phenomenon, not just focussed upon criminal activity. It documents a critical shift in how violence is performed and perceived within society. It attempts to connect regional crime to global networks and diasporic operations offering rare insight into policing, intelligence, and counter-gang strategies. Hopefully, it helps readers understand why crime in Punjab today is as much about image as power.

This book will appeal to all kinds of readers, including those who are avid readers of true crime and investigative journalism. It will most definitely appeal to those interested in contemporary Punjab and North Indian politics as gangs have been inextricably linked with politicians.

Read an extract from the book on Moneycontrol. The book is published by Rupa Publications India.

Jupinderjit Singh, is an award-winning investigative journalist celebrated for his crime reporting. He has so far published six books, many of which have been translated into multiple languages, but he is best known for Who Killed Moosewala? (2023), a bestseller that examines Punjab’s deep-rooted violence through the lens of the singer’s murder.

A recipient of the prestigious Prem Bhatia Young Journalist Award, he rediscovered Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s lost pistol and chronicled the find in a book. A creative spirit, Singh also writes short stories and poetry, and plays competitive chess.

17 April 2026