Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) in a joint operation with Moga police arrested gangster Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi Dallewalia, who was allegedly masterminded behind the murder of rival gang members’ father on Friday.
The police team also recovered a pistol and five cartridges from the possession of the accused. Gopi Dallewalia was convicted in four criminal cases and a proclaimed offender in a murder case at Goraya in 2016.
Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav in a post on X (formerly Twitter) said, “In an intelligence-led operation, Anti-Gangster Task Force (#AGTF) & @MogaPolice have arrested Gangster Gurpreet Singh @ Gopi Dalewalia of Goru Baccha group. Gopi was the key associate involved in the murder of Santokh Singh at Moga in July 2023.”
On July 16 last month, four assailants had barraged into a house in Moga and shot dead Santokh Singh, 65, in his living room. The police said it was found that the killing was part of a gang war between Bishnoi and Bambiha gangs. Police had claimed that as per preliminary investigations, Gopi Dallewalia and Gaurav Sharma alias Goru Bacha were the masterminds behind this gruesome murder.
Last week, Punjab police had arrested three shooters of the Gopi Dallewalia gang, who had killed Santokh.
{{/usCountry}}Last week, Punjab police had arrested three shooters of the Gopi Dallewalia gang, who had killed Santokh.
{{/usCountry}}Dallewalia, who is a close aide of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, had taken responsibility for the murder, claiming it as revenge for the attack on gangster Goru Baccha in Faridkot jail. The deceased, Santokh Singh, was the father of Category ‘B’ gangster Sukhdev Singh, alias Seba, who is lodged in Faridkot jail. Seba is a member of the Bambiha gang.
On July 11, gangster Gaurav Sharma, alias Goru Baccha, was attacked inside the Faridkot jail, after which two inmates were booked by the Faridkot police. Baccha believed that Seba was behind the attack on him, following which the attack was carried out, police said.
In a Facebook post, an aide of gangster Baccha, Gopi Dallewalia had took responsibility for the murder. “Bambiha group’s Seba, who is lodged in Faridkot jail, attempted to harm Goru Baccha. We are responsible for the firing incident at his house. Any jail officer found involved in the attack on Baccha will face a similar fate. We will finish Bambiha gang,” the post read.
Bachha is a close aide of gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and is already facing trial for heinous crimes, including murder, extortion, attempt to murder and possessing illegal weapons, in cases registered in Ludhiana as well as other districts. He had been arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) in 2018 and was sent to 10-year rigorous imprisonment in 2020 in an attempt to murder case by the Ludhiana court.