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Sidhu Moose Wala murder: Police start process to bring Lawrence Bishnoi to Punjab
SIT of Mansa police probing the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala is preparing to bring gangster Lawrence Bishnoi on production warrant to Punjab for questioning
The special investigation team (SIT) of the Mansa police probing the murder of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moose Wala, is preparing to bring gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is suspected to be the main conspirator of the murder, on production warrant to Punjab for questioning.
Mansa senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gaurav Toora said that the SIT has traced the route used by the assailants to carry out the attack and also the recce through CCTV footage.
“We have traced the route used by them to escape. Some important clues were found on the abandoned vehicles used in the crime. Based on the leads during the investigation, police arrested one person and brought two members of the Lawrance Bishnoi gang on production warrants. Bishnoi’s involvement is to be probed. We are sure that they have strong information regarding this module,” the SSP said.
Toora said: “Since Bishnoi is in the custody of the Delhi Police at present, so as per law we cannot seek his remand right now. The SIT will make him join the investigation after that and his role will be probed.”
On Tuesday, the special cell of the Delhi Police obtained five-day custody of jailed gangster Bishnoi, who was lodged at the Tihar jail in connection with an old case.
Car used in crime spotted in CCTV footage 3-days before murder
The Toyota Corolla car, which was used in the crime, was seen multiple times near the residence of Moose Wala in the CCTV footage three days before the singer’s murder, an official said. This was the same car that tailed Moose Wala’s jeep on the day of the murder. Assailants had abandoned the car a few kilometres away from Jawaharke village, where Sidhu was shot dead. Police sources claim that a recce was conducted on the car.
SSP said this is in knowledge of SIT and is under investigation
Moose Wala was killed a day after Punjab partially withdrew the security of 424 people, including him. The popular singer was earlier protected by four armed personnel; the cover was scaled down to two armed guards. The development raises serious questions on the process of threat assessment as the SIT probe has found that suspects were tracking his movement from a few days before Moose Wala’s security was curtailed.
The Punjab Police on Tuesday detained Manpreet Singh, alias Bhau, of Mansa district’s Dhapai village who is suspected to have provided logistic support to the killers, including arranging two vehicles involved in the murder. He was sent to five-day police remand by a Mansa court.
Bhau, who was arrested from Dehradun on Monday afternoon in a joint operation by the Punjab Police and their Uttarakhand counterparts, is suspected to have provided the Bolero and Toyota Corolla car to the killers.
Gangster Bhagwanpuria’s role under scanner
The Mansa police also brought two gangsters, Manpreet Singh Manna and Saraj Sandhu, alias Mintoo, from the Ferozepur Central Jail and the Bathinda Central Jail on production warrant after getting a few strong leads.
Manna, who is a distant relative of Bhau, killed another gangster Kulveer Singh Naruana and his accomplice Chamkaur Singh last year. Police sources said Manna was in touch with Bishnoi from inside Ferozepur Jail.
While Sandhu, who is accused of the targeted killing of a Hindu leader in Amritsar, is a close associate of jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. After getting leads on Sandhu’s alleged involvement in Moose Wala’s murder, SIT is also probing Bhagwanpuria’s role. Following this, SIT is likely to bring Bhagwanpuria on production warrants as well.
After the murder, the Bishnoi gang took the responsibility and termed it an act of revenge for the killing of Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera in Mohali in August last year.
Meanwhile, the family of Moose Wala immersed his ashes in the Sutlej at Gurdwara Patalpuri Sahib in Kiratpur Sahib, Rupnagar on Wednesday afternoon. Moose Wala’s father Balkaur Singh performed the immersion ceremony at the Asth Ghat in the gurdwara.
The bhog ceremony will be held in Mansa on June 8. Meanwhile, AAP MLA Kunwar Vijay Pratap visited Moose Wala’s house on Wednesday evening and expressed his condolences.
