Stockton Sikhs mark 27th Nagar Kirtan as Punjabi Devils founder enters guilty plea in federal gun case
The Stockton Sikh community prepared to celebrate its 27th annual Nagar Kirtan parade at the historic Gurdwara Sahib Stockton in April 2026, an event drawing more than 19,000 people from across the region each year to observe Vaisakhi. The same period brought sobering legal news: the founder of the Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club, a Stockton-based group with reported ties to the Hells Angels, entered a federal guilty plea in February 2026 on firearms charges that included an attempt to flee the country through San Francisco's international airport before his arrest.
🎉 Stockton's 27th Nagar Kirtan returns to historic Gurdwara Sahib
The Stockton Record reported on April 17, 2026, that the Stockton Sikh Temple's 27th annual Nagar Kirtan parade was set for Sunday, April 19, in Stockton. The event — also known as the Sikh Parade and Festival — takes place each year at the Gurdwara Sahib Stockton, a site formally designated as a historic landmark, located at 1930 Sikh Temple Street. More than 19,000 people attend annually to observe and celebrate Vaisakhi. Admission to the parade is free. The Stockton Record described the occasion as one that honors a legacy over 100 years strong, acknowledging the Sikh community's deep and enduring roots in Stockton, which has maintained an active presence in the city for well over a century. The Gurdwara Sahib Stockton's formal designation as a historic landmark reflects its significance not only as a place of worship but as an institution woven into the fabric of the city. The 27th edition of the parade marks nearly three decades of an annual tradition centered on the same landmark temple. The combination of free and open admission, a procession through the surrounding streets, and the spiritual and cultural context of Vaisakhi has made the Nagar Kirtan one of Stockton's most widely attended annual gatherings. Families and visitors from across Northern California participate in the procession, which is held at a temple whose history in the city predates many other local institutions. The event stands as a public expression of the Sikh community's faith, identity, and longstanding commitment to civic participation in the Central Valley city of Stockton. [1]
Punjabi Devils founder pleads guilty to federal firearms charges after fleeing court
The Desert Sun reported on February 3, 2026, that the 27-year-old founder of the Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club in Stockton had pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges. The case, covered by reporter James Ward of the USA TODAY NETWORK, centered on prosecutors' allegations that the defendant attempted to sell illegal weapons to an undercover law enforcement officer. After the attempted transaction came to light, the defendant fled court — an act that significantly escalated the legal consequences he faced. He was subsequently arrested at San Francisco International Airport, where prosecutors said he was in the process of boarding a flight bound for India. The arrest at SFO cut short what appeared to be an attempt to leave the country. The guilty plea resolved a criminal case that had begun with an indictment in 2025, when the founder of the Stockton-based motorcycle club was first charged. The Punjabi Devils Motorcycle Club, headquartered in Stockton, has been reported to have ties to the Hells Angels. Federal firearms charges carry substantial penalties, and the conduct alleged by prosecutors — attempting an illegal weapons sale followed by fleeing the jurisdiction — represented multiple serious legal violations. The defendant's interception at an international airport departure gate prevented what would have been a complex cross-border legal situation. For the Stockton community, the guilty plea brought a measure of resolution to the federal prosecution that had been building since 2025. The case received coverage from the USA TODAY NETWORK, reflecting the significance attached to federal weapons proceedings involving a California-based organized motorcycle group. [3]
Sources: [1] The Stockton Record · [3] The Desert Sun