17 suspects arrested for violent clashes in Sikh American community

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta, left, Sutter County DA Jennifer Depre, (center) and Sacramento DA Thien Ho at the
press conference announcing the arrests of 17 gang members.

Arrests of 17 individuals will stem the violence including sword fights, fisticuffs and shootings that have been ruining recent celebrations of the northern California Sikh community.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Yuba City Police Chief Brian Baker, and Sutter County District Attorney Jennifer Dupré announced Sunday, April 16 that law enforcement made 17 felony arrests as a result of a months-long, multi-agency investigation of rival criminal syndicates operating throughout Northern California.

These warring gangs, known as the Minta and the AK-47 Group, are suspected of committing numerous violent clashes including five attempted murders, in Sutter, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano, Yolo, and Merced counties.

“No family should ever have to worry about drive-by shootings or other forms of gun violence in the neighborhoods where their children live and play. As a result of this joint law enforcement effort, we’re taking guns off the street and putting suspected gang members and their associates behind bars," said Bonta during the press conference in Yuba City.

“This started out as one group, and one faction broke off, and since then they have been rivals trying to outdo each other," Sutter County District Attorney General Jennifer Dupré.

"Mainly they show up places and try to shoot each other,” she said, comparing it to the US Civil War “where brothers were fighting against brothers.”

The violence started as fistfights and sword fights at a 2018 Sikh parade in Yuba City where one suspect’s attack with a sword was violent that the sword broke, Dupré said. That’s where the name of the police investigation, "Operation Broken Sword." originated.

Authorities believe the continuing violence between these groups resulted in a mass shooting at a Stockton Sikh temple during a wedding on August 27, 2022, followed by a shooting at a Sacramento Sikh temple on March 23, 2023.

The joint law enforcement effort reached a climax on April 15 in a large-scale operation with agents executing search warrants at 20 locations, also resulted in the seizure of 41 firearms.

Arrested were: Karandeep Singh, Pardeep Singh, Pavittar Singh, Husandeep Singh, Sahajpreet Singh, Harkirat Singh, Tirath Ram, Dharamvir Singh, Jobanjit Singh, Gurvinder Singh, Nitish Kaushal, Gurminder Singh Kang, Devender Singh, Karambir Gill, Rajeev Ranjan, Jobanpreet Singh and Singh Dhesi, according NBC News.

Five others, Amandeep Singh, Harmandeep Singh, Gursharn Singh, Grucharan Singh and Jaskaran Singh, remain at-large.

Dupré said the investigation was “ramped up” at last month’s parade in Vineyard, where investigators intercepted two vehicles near the parade route. The prosecutor said authorities arrested seven people found with four handguns and two assault weapons with high-capacity ammunition magazines in those vehicles near the parade route. The suspects’ intent was to take up position along the parade route and shoot at rivals.

SCREEN CAPTURE / NBC

Thousands of Sikhs are attended last month's parade where violence broke out.

Dupre said investigators were at last month’s Sacramento County parade with the goal of keeping the event “violence-free,” and she’s convinced law enforcement prevented what could’ve been a mass casualty incident. “If those weapons had gotten into the parade it could have been a blood bath,” Dupre said.

But despite the arrests, violence did breakout. The Vineyard shooting occurred about 2:30 p.m. after a fight broke out among a group of men, all in their 20s, who were not part of the parade, she said.

More than 20,000 Sikh reside in and around Yuba City and Sacramento, the largest Sikh community in the United States. 

The individuals arrested in connection with the violence do not in any way reflect or represent the vibrant Sikh community in the region, said Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho. Leaders of the Sikh community in Northern California have condemned this violence again and again, he emphasized.

The massive investigation and arrests involved 500 officers and multiple law enforcement agencies.

“Today, California is safer thanks to collaboration, determination, and swift action by DOJ agents and our law enforcement partners in Sutter County,” said Bonta. "Together, we’re putting public safety first. Thank you to our law enforcement partners across the state for working with us day-in and day-out to protect the people of California.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.