‘Hitmen’ siblings held in Khanna double contract killing exposé.

Khanna: In a major breakthrough against cross-border contract killing networks, the local police have arrested two brothers allegedly operating as hired shooters for separate international handlers.The siblings, identified as Vishal (25) and Gora (23), were apprehended in the Ferozepur area on Tuesday. Investigators revealed that while the brothers operated as a duo, they were roped into distinct criminal plots — one involving local extortion and the other an NRI's revenge mission.
The Cloth Merchant ExtortionThe elder brother, Vishal, is accused of carrying out a targeted attack on the residence of prominent fashion designer and garment trader Ashu Vijan in Khanna's Khatika Mohalla on the night of Jan 18. Vishal allegedly fired multiple rounds at Vijan's home and attempted to set the merchant's vehicle on fire using petrol. Police identify the mastermind as Vickey Tehlan, a Ferozepur native suspected to be hiding abroad.For executing the terror-inducing strike, Vishal was reportedly paid a mere Rs 20,000. Vishal, a former laborer who previously worked in Malaysia, was reportedly unemployed and desperate for funds at the time of the recruitment.The US-Linked Revenge PlotThe younger brother, Gora, was allegedly involved in a much higher-stakes operation. Police state that Gora was hired by a US-based individual, Sarabjit Singh (alias Sabbi), to eliminate the family members of a man Sabbi suspected of having an affair with his wife. Gora is accused of shooting at two brothers in Machhiwara and Chamkaur Sahib during May and July 2025. Unlike his brother's low-stakes hit, Gora was allegedly paid Rs 2 lakh for these attempted assassinations. Gora was already a wanted fugitive with active cases in Ropar and Khanna at the time of his arrest.The ‘Digital Ghost' ChallengeKhanna SSP Darpan Ahluwalia has noted how nabbing the brothers was particularly difficult due to the "clean slate" strategy used by modern handlers. "Handlers increasingly hire individuals with little to no prior criminal history, making them 'invisible' to traditional databases," Ahluwalia said. "Furthermore, these networks communicate exclusively through encrypted apps like Telegram and Signal, which complicates the process of tracing the digital breadcrumbs back to the masterminds."The Mohali Weapon DropIn a sophisticated logistical move, the siblings did not carry their own weapons. Senior officers revealed that a third party was used to "dead-drop" the firearms in the fields near a residential complex in Mohali. The individuals responsible for dropping the weapons reportedly never met the brothers, ensuring that if one wing of the operation was compromised, the others remained anonymous.