Moose Wala’s murder: Week on, Punjab Police yet to trace shooters

According to sources in the Punjab Police, the SIT has detained three suspects belonging to Mansa district and is interrogated them to find their role in Moose Wala’s murder

A week after Punjabi singer and Congress leader Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moose Wala, was shot dead in Mansa, the special investigation team (SIT) has failed to arrest the shooters.

Punjab Police had made the first arrest within two days of the crime, identifying the suspect as Manpreet Bhau who provided logistical support to Moose Wala’s killers.

According to sources in the Punjab Police, the SIT on the basis of leads detained three suspects belonging to Mansa district and is interrogated them. Meanwhile, it has also expanded the geographical area for probe till up to New Delhi and is checking CCTV footage of the routes suspected to have been taken by the assailants, the sources cited above said.

Police have also recovered a short video shot by an eyewitness in which the shooters are apparently visible, claim sources. The shooters had even fired upon the person shooting the video on spotting him, following which he had fled, they said.

Moose Wala was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Jawaharke village in Mansa district on Sunday. Soon after the killing, the gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in Tihar Jail, took responsibility and termed it an act of revenge for the killing of Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera in Mohali in August last year. According to the autopsy report, the singer had received 19 bullet injury marks and died within 15 minutes.

Mansa senior superintendent of police Gaurav Toora said the investigation is underway and police have got some strong leads, but refused to disclose anything.

Two days after the crime, the Punjab Police had made the first arrest in the case, identifying the suspect as Faridkot resident Manpreet Bhau. Police claimed Bhau provided logistic support to the killers, including arranging two vehicles used in the crime. The same day, police also brought two gangsters from Ferozepur and Bathinda jails on production warrants to quiz them for their possible role in the attack.

Tracing the entry and exit routes of assailants through CCTV footage led police to Fatehabad in Haryana, from where two members of the Bishnoi gang, whose involvement was suspected in Moose Wala’s case, were arrested on Friday in another case registered in Moga. Following leads gathered from CCTV footage, the Punjab Police have also questioned some other Haryana residents in connection with the case, said sources.

Meanwhile, the suspected use of an AN-94 Russian assault rifle in the murder has raised concern among the probe agencies. While police suspect the possibility of weapons being smuggled from Pakistan, they have not got any strong lead, said sources.