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Sidhu Moose Wala murder: Pune police arrest another suspect, aide from Gujarat
The Local Crime Branch (LCB) unit of the Pune rural police arrested Jadhav, 35, and his accomplice Navnath Suryavanshi, 22, from Kutch district in Gujarat. A team of the Punjab Police led by senior police officers had left for Pune to interrogate Jadhav.
The Pune Police arrested two persons, including Santosh Jadhav, a suspect in Punjabi singer and politician Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder case on Monday. However, Jadhav is not on the list of the four shooters identified by the Punjab Police’s special investigation team (SIT) probing Moose Wala’s murder case.
The Local Crime Branch (LCB) unit of the Pune rural police arrested Jadhav, 35, and his accomplice Navnath Suryavanshi, 22, from Kutch district in Gujarat. A team of the Punjab Police led by senior police officers had left for Pune to interrogate Jadhav.
Meanwhile, the Punjab police SIT claimed that Jadhav is not among the four shooters identified by them but his role is yet to be ascertained as the exact count and identity of all the shooters have not been identified yet. “Among the four shooters identified by the Punjab Police SIT, two belong to Punjab and two to Haryana. Gangster Saraj Sandhu, alias Mintoo, had arranged two from Punjab, while two were provided by gangster Monu Dagar from Haryana. Both had contacted them from jail and gave instructions. Jadhav was not identified as a shooter so far, but his role is under investigation,” said a member of SIT pleading anonymity
Jadhav, an accused in a 2021 murder case in Pune, was on the run for the past few months. Last week, the Delhi Police special cell, which has custody of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, had claimed Jadhav is one of the suspects who along with others shot dead the singer.
Mansa senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gaurav Toora, who is also a member of SIT, said that the Punjab Police was in continuous contact with the Maharashtra police. “Jadhav’s interrogation is under process by the Pune police and the Punjab Police team will also question him soon. The police are trying to ascertain his role in Moose Wala’s murder, if any evidence is found we will push for bringing him to Punjab for custodial interrogation,” he said.
After the arrest, Maharashtra’s additional director general of police Kulwant Sarangal said Jadhav is one of the suspected assailants in Moose Wala murder case and also a suspect in the threat case of Bollywood Salman Khan and his father Salim Khan. “We apprehended Jadhav and Suryavanshi after receiving information from gangster Mahakal. Jadhav along with Mahakal and Suryawanshi are associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and are suspected to have a role in the Moose Wala murder case,” said Sarangal.
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.
Jadhav was arrested in the murder case of Omkar, alias Ranya Bankhele, a criminal on record who was shot dead by Jadhav in August 2021. Suryavanshi was arrested for providing shelter to Jadhav.
Jadhav was produced before a judicial magistrate on Sunday night and was remanded to police custody till June 20.
According to the Punjab SIT, so far, a total of 10 people have been arrested, all involved in providing logistical support, carrying out a recce and sheltering the attackers.
(With inputs from Pune)
