Panic gripped Aman Nagar in Jalandhar on Monday night when two unidentified assailants fired over a dozen rounds at the residence of an NRI family. The attack, which occurred shortly after a threatening phone call is now being linked to Pakistan-based criminal Shehzad Bhatti, who later released a video of the firing and an audio clip of a heated exchange with the NRI.
According to the family, the incident unfolded just five minutes after the NRI’s mother Charanjit Kaur received a call from an unknown number. The caller hurled abuses and demanded to know the whereabouts of some one named Kaka Sandhu. When she denied knowing anyone by that name, the caller threatened ominously, “Now see what hap- pens.” Minutes later, 13–14 rounds were fired outside their home by two men on a motorcycle, as captured on CCTV footage. Jatinder, the NRI targeted in the threats, has been living in Portugal for the last 15 years with his two brothers, with whom he runs a restaurant business.
Their families are based there, while their parents and grandmother continue to live in Jalandhar. At the time of the incident, only the elderly members of the family his parents and grandmother were at home. Thankfully, no one was injured in the attack. Charanjit Kaur told police she recognized the caller’s photo as Shehzad Bhatti’s, which appeared on her phone screen. She added that the same family had received a similar threat a year ago and had filed a police complaint at the time, but no significant action had followed.
Further tension came to light as a chilling audio conversation between Bhatti and Jatinder surfaced on Tuesday. In the recording, Bhatti is heard demanding extortion money and threatening to orchestrate attacks in both Jalandhar and Portugal. When Jatinder refused, Bhatti declared, “First, I will kill your father,” to which Jatinder retorted defiantly, “If you come, come prepared.” The call quickly spiralled into an abusive argument before being disconnected. Bhatti also released a video on social media showing the gunmen firing outside Jatinder’s Jalandhar home, reinforcing fears of transnational criminal targeting.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Manpreet Singh confirmed the recovery of four spent bullet casings from the scene. “The firing occurred outside the home of an NRI who had received an extortion threat from a man identifying himself as Pakistani don Shehzad Bhatti,” he said. “We are now examining the viral audio and video evidence as part of the investigation.” The DCP added that the family’s Portugal-based restaurant had also been mentioned as a potential target by Bhatti.
While the attackers remain at large, Jalandhar Police say they are actively pursuing leads and taking the case very seriously, given the international dimension and possible gangland connections. The police have registered an FIR, and senior officers from the Police Commissionerate have visited the crime scene for further assessment. However, no arrests have been made so far. The attack has raised fresh concerns about the reach of overseas gangsters and the vulnerability of NRI families back home. Authorities are now looking into whether this is part of a larger pattern of organized cross-border intimidation.