Chandigarh: Bail plea of accused in Bhuppi Rana’s murder plot junked

The court’s order stated that granting bail would send a “wrong signal to society” and could enable the accused to commit more heinous crimes in the future

An additional sessions judge, Rajnish Garg, has dismissed the bail application of an accused allegedly involved in a conspiracy to murder gangster Bhuppi Rana. The court observed that “offences relating to gangsters and gang wars are increasing in the society each day and are required to be dealt with a heavy hand.”

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they had come to Chandigarh on the instructions of gangster Goldy Brar to assassinate gangster Bhuppi Rana during his court appearance. (HT Photo for representation)

The court’s order stated that granting bail would send a “wrong signal to society” and could enable the accused to commit more heinous crimes in the future. The judge further noted that the length of custody and the filing of a challan are not sufficient grounds for granting bail.

The accused, identified as Umang from Rohtak, was arrested by the Sector-36 police station and was booked on February 26, 2024 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Arms Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The public prosecutor argued that Umang has connections with international gangsters.

According to the police case, Umang was arrested along with co-accused Sunny, alias Sachin Manchanda, near the District Courts in Sector 43, Chandigarh. At the time of their arrest, a pistol and one live cartridge were recovered from Sunny, while three live cartridges were found in Umang’s possession. Based on their disclosures, another co-accused, Kailash Chauhan, alias Tiger, was also arrested from the same area, and a pistol with two live cartridges was seized from him.

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they had come to Chandigarh on the instructions of gangster Goldy Brar to assassinate gangster Bhuppi Rana during his court appearance. The investigation revealed that Umang and Sunny were picked up from the Chandigarh Railway Station by Parwinder Singh and subsequently stayed with Anmolpreet Singh at his rented accommodation in TDI City, Mohali. They also stayed at other locations in the tricity with the help of an associate, Pooja Sharma, who also arranged money for them.

Further investigation led to the arrest of Anmolpreet Singh and Parwinder Singh on February 28, 2024. Both admitted to providing shelter, money, and a vehicle to the other accused. They also confessed to assisting Sunny and Umang during their visits to the district courts in Chandigarh, Mohali, and other places. The two also revealed that they were in contact with Goldy Brar and Vicky Chauhan through various messaging apps.

On February 29, 2024, another co-accused, Pooja Sharma, alias Maya or Kasish, was arrested from Sector-43 ISBT, Chandigarh. She was found in possession of a mobile phone and an advocate’s dress. She confessed to her role, leading to the arrest of Baljeet Singh on March 1, 2024, who had picked her up and dropped her off at the bus stand. CCTV footage from the ISBT corroborated this incident.

Pooja Sharma’s further disclosure led to the recovery of a pistol, a magazine with two live cartridges, and parts of a mobile phone she had destroyed after use. She revealed that she had been in contact with Goldy Brar on the recovered phone and that she and Sunny had conducted reconnaissance - reiki - at the district courts in Mohali to plan the murder of Bhuppi Rana as per Brar’s instructions.