Panchkula mall murder: No leads on prime accused despite ₹12-lakh manhunt

A senior IPS officer revealed that police teams have conducted raids in far-flung locations like Bengaluru and Mumbai, but the accused have evaded capture

Three months after the murder of 32-year-old kabaddi player Sonu Nolta, district police are facing growing criticism for their failure to arrest the main accused, Piyush Piplani and Ankush. Despite a massive nationwide manhunt that has reportedly cost around ₹12 lakh, the duo remains at large.

On June 5, Sonu Nolta was fatally shot and his cousin was injured outside Amravati Mall in Pinjore, Panchkula. (HT)

The incident occurred on the night of June 5 outside Amravati Mall in Pinjore, where Nolta was fatally shot and his cousin was injured. Following the crime, Piplani and Ankush posted a video on social media taking responsibility and claiming ties to the Bishnoi gang.

A senior IPS officer revealed that police teams have conducted raids in far-flung locations like Bengaluru and Mumbai, but the accused have evaded capture. He said that a huge amount of around ₹12 lakh has already been spent on the manhunt. Police attributed the difficulty to the accused’s clever tactic of not using social media or their known mobile numbers, which has rendered traditional digital tracking ineffective.

In July, Sonu Nolta’s family staged a public protest, blocking a road in Pinjore and providing the police with a list of approximately 15 suspects, highlighting the public’s perception of the police’s slow and ineffective response.

So far, the investigation has led to the arrest of two associates. Sameer Khan, an occupant of the getaway car, was arrested on June 11. Jameel was apprehended in July for allegedly providing his vehicle to the main accused.

Additionally, another suspect, Deepak Pandit, was brought from Ropar jail on a production warrant for allegedly communicating with Piplani via mobile phone two days before the murder.