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Punjab: Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi brought to Moga court in 2021 murder bid case
Police seal court complex as Bishnoi brought from Bathinda jail under tight security, while shooters Monu Dagar, Jodhajit Singh also presented for framing of charges at Moga court
Three days after failing to produce gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s case through video-conferencing, Punjab Police on Saturday produced him in a Moga court for framing of charges against him in an attempt to murder case in December 2021.
Bishnoi was brought from Bathinda jail in bulletproof vehicle under heavy security.
Monu Dagar, who is lodged in Faridkot jail, and Jodhajit Singh were also presented before the court. The court complex was sealed by the police till the proceedings ended.
Moga SSP J Elanchezhian said that Bishnoi was brought for framing of charges against him in a case registered at city south police station. “After the proceedings, he was sent back to Bathinda jail. The next hearing is on July 17. We will do the follow-up and present him in the case again. Two other co-accused were also brought to the court,” he said.
Police claim in December 2021, Bishnoi took a contract to kill Jatinder Kumar, alias Neela, the brother of Moga deputy mayor Ashok Dhamija. On directions of Bishnoi, Canada-based Goldy Brar sent shooters Jodhajit Singh and Monu Dagar, also an accused in Moose Wala’s case, to kill Neela. “But they tried to kill Pratham Dhamija as they mistook him for his uncle, Jatinder, due to their similar appearance. Pratham escaped as the assailant’s pistol got jammed and he could fire only one bullet that hit him in the foot. Pratham’s father Sunil Dhamija was also injured,” a police official said.
Neela is facing a number of criminal cases and is a member of Bishnoi’s rival gang.
Dagar and Jodhajit were arrested and are jailed in Faridkot.
In August 2022, Moga police questioned Bishnoi for 10 days in this case and filed a chargesheet against him.
Nine months have passed since the Punjab Police filed a chargesheet in Sidhu Moose Wala murder case, but the court is yet to frame charges against the accused as producing all of them at the same time through videoconferencing is a challenge for the authorities.
Despite the court’s direction to present all accused either physically or through video-conferencing, only 14 of the 25 accused lodged in jails have been presented in a Mansa court in Moose Wala’s murder case. However, 11 accused, including Bishnoi and gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, have not been produced in court. Since the filing of the chargesheet in the case, of 28 hearings, Bishnoi has been produced in the court only once through video-conferencing.
