Five men of Indian origin have been charged in a kidnapping and extortion case linked to Calgary, Alberta, authorities say. Police have arrested four suspects; one, 29-year-old Gagandeep Singh, remains at large and is wanted on multiple charges including kidnapping and assault.
According to Calgary police and reports in the Calgary Herald, the incident occurred on May 6. Police say four of the accused went to the home of the alleged kidnapping victim in the evening, threatened him at gunpoint, forced him into a vehicle and drove him to Calgary.
Investigators say the abduction was part of an extortion plot aimed at the victim’s friend, who lived in the Cityscape neighbourhood in Calgary. The suspects allegedly tried to force the kidnapped man to lure his friend out of his home. When the victim refused to cooperate, he was assaulted.
Meanwhile, the friend and his wife attempted to flee. Police say the suspects followed them and again threatened them with a firearm; the couple returned to their residence and called police. Two suspects were arrested shortly afterward; the remaining two initially drove the victim back to Edmonton and released him before they were later arrested.
Calgary police have charged Taranveer Singh, 24, Daksh Gautam, 25, Akashdeep Singh, 18, and Pardeep Singh, 24 — all of Calgary — with multiple offences, including kidnapping with a firearm. Gagandeep Singh, 29, is wanted and believed to have links to Ontario and British Columbia, police said.
Police also noted that the men are not Canadian citizens and have mixed immigration status, including expired work permits and refugee claim status. The kidnapped man is also South Asian, authorities said.
Calgary Police Supt. Jeff Bell described the incident as a significant escalation in a series of extortion-related incidents affecting the city’s South Asian community. Police say there have been 45 extortion-related cases in Calgary since April 2025.
Investigations are ongoing and authorities continue to seek information about Gagandeep Singh’s whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to contact Calgary police.