Stockton Sikh Festival Marks 27 Years as Punjabi Devils Founder Enters Federal Guilty Plea
Stockton offered two contrasting glimpses of its Punjab diaspora in 2026: tens of thousands gathered at the city's storied Gurdwara Sahib Stockton for the 27th Nagar Kirtan parade, a free and open celebration of Vaisakhi rooted in more than a century of Sikh presence in the Central Valley. Separately, federal prosecutors closed a chapter in a high-profile case when the founder of the Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club pleaded guilty to firearms charges after a dramatic flight from court and an arrest at San Francisco International Airport.
🎉 Nagar Kirtan parade returns for its 27th year, drawing 19,000 to historic Gurdwara Sahib Stockton
Stockton's beloved Nagar Kirtan parade returned for its 27th consecutive year on Sunday, April 19, drawing its customary crowd of more than 19,000 attendees from across the region. The annual event, formally known as the Sikh Parade and Festival, is organized through the Stockton Sikh Temple and centers on the historic Gurdwara Sahib Stockton, a recognized historic landmark situated at 1930 Sikh Temple St. The celebration marks Vaisakhi, one of the most spiritually and culturally significant occasions on the Sikh calendar, observed each spring to honor both the Punjabi harvest tradition and the founding of the Khalsa. Admission to the parade is free, a tradition consistent with the Sikh principle of seva, or selfless service, and one that ensures the festival remains open to all members of the broader Stockton community regardless of background or faith. The Gurdwara Sahib Stockton carries a history stretching more than a century, tracing to some of the earliest Punjabi Sikh settlements in California's Central Valley. Its designation as a historic landmark is a formal recognition of how central the Sikh community has been to Stockton's identity across generations. The 27th Nagar Kirtan continued that enduring tradition, welcoming both longtime devotees and first-time visitors to one of the city's largest free annual public gatherings, bringing together people of many backgrounds in a shared civic and spiritual celebration. [1]
Punjabi Devils founder pleads guilty to federal firearms charges after fleeing court and airport arrest
The 27-year-old founder of the Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club, based in Stockton, pleaded guilty in early February 2026 to federal firearms charges, closing a case that prosecutors described as a serious threat to public safety. According to federal prosecutors, the founder attempted to sell illegal weapons to an undercover law enforcement officer, a transaction that formed the basis for the federal indictment. The case took a dramatic turn when he fled from a scheduled court appearance rather than face the charges, prompting a law enforcement search that ended at San Francisco International Airport. Authorities located and arrested him there as he was preparing to board a flight to India, halting his departure before he could leave the country. His guilty plea on the federal firearms charges followed that arrest and represents a significant resolution to a case that drew considerable attention in the Stockton area. Federal firearms charges involving alleged illegal weapons sales to undercover officers are among the more serious categories of gun-related offenses prosecuted at the federal level, typically carrying substantial sentencing exposure under federal guidelines. The Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club, whose name reflects its Punjabi cultural identity, had previously drawn law enforcement scrutiny, and this federal case stands as the most serious legal proceeding involving the group to date. The guilty plea was reported in coverage from the USA TODAY Network published in The Desert Sun on February 3, 2026. [3]
Sources: [1] The Stockton Record · [3] The Desert Sun