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Police teams from across Punjab line up to get Lawrence Bishnoi’s custody
While the official line is that the gangster is to be quizzed in other criminal cases, insiders say the SIT probing Moose Wala’s murder want to delay his judicial custody till all the suspects are arrested
As Lawrence Bishnoi landed back at the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) office in Kharar after the Amritsar police got his eight-day remand on Tuesday, police teams from other districts are also lining up to take the custody of the gangster, who is said to be the “main conspirator” in Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder case.
While the official line is that the gangster is to be quizzed in other criminal cases lodged against him in Punjab, insiders say the special investigation team (SIT) probing Moose Wala’s murder want to delay his judicial custody till all the suspects are arrested.
Even a month after the murder, which took place at Mansa on May 29, the SIT has failed to arrest any shooter or recover the weapons. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police still have the custody of the two shooters arrested so far, and the SIT is waiting to grill them along with Bishnoi. The remaining four shooters are still evading arrest.
Moose Wala was brought on transit remand from Delhi on June 15, following which the Mansa police got his custody and he was moved to the CIA office in Kharar for questioning. As the 12-day custody ended on Monday, the gangster was sent to judicial custody in Moose Wala’s case, but handed over to the Amritsar police in another murder case.
The Moga police are also already on standby to arrest him in an attempt to murder case, confirmed senior superintendent of police Gulneet Singh Khurana. “We will bring him on production warrants for interrogation when his police remand in other cases ends,” he said. Police claim Bishnoi took a contract to kill the brother of deputy mayor Ashok Dhamija. The shooter, Monu Dagar, also an accused in Moose Wala’s case, missed the target and was arrested last December, they said.
The Faridkot police have also initiated process to bring Bishnoi for interrogation in the murder of district Youth Congress president Gurlal Pehlwan, who was shot dead in February last year. The Punjab Police got Bishnoi’s production warrants in the case last year, but it was stayed by the Punjab and Haryana high court. Superintendent of police Bal Krishan Singla said they are taking legal opinion about the high court order and will soon push to bring Bishnoi on production warrants.
The Muktsar police are also looking to interrogate Bishnoi in four cases, including the murders of gangsters Ranjit Rana, alias Rana Sidhu, and Manpreet Manna, it is learnt.
Meanwhile, the Mansa police have arrested one Gora Singh of Bhama Khurd village, who is suspected to be involved in Moose Wala’s case, along with a pistol. Sources said he is being interrogating to find his role.
