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SIT identifies eight shooters who killed Sidhu Moose Wala
Man who did recce held, took selfies posing as fan before passing real-time info to shooters; Punjab police SIT probing Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder identified eight shooters who pumped 19 bullets into the singer
The Punjab police special investigation team (SIT) probing the murder of Punjabi singer and politician Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu popularly known as Sidhu Moose Wala has identified eight shooters who pumped 19 bullets into the singer at Jawaharke village in Mansa district on May 29.
The sharpshooters have been identified as three Punjab residents Manpreet Singh Mannu of Khussa village in Moga, Jagroop Singh, alias Roopa, of Jaura village in Tarn Taran and Harkamal Singh, alias Ranu of Bathinda, two Haryana residents Manjeet, alias Bholu, and Priyavart, alias Fauji, of Sisana village in Sonipat, two Maharashtra residents Santosh Yadav and Saurav Mahakal, both residents of Pune, and Subhash Banuda of Sikar in Rajasthan.
Also read: Sharpshooters who killed Sidhu Moose Wala unmasked
The gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi, who is lodged in the Delhi’s Tihar Jail, has claimed the responsibility for Moose Wala’s murder. A senior police official said that all the persons who were identified by the police as killers are sharpshooters and they are directly linked with the Bishnoi gang. There is an ongoing operation to trace the shooters and a number of teams of police are conducting raids in three states right now in connection with this case.
The SIT had made the first arrest in the Moose Wala killing by catching Manpreet Bhau of Dhaipai village of Faridkot district on May 31. It alleged that Bhau had provided logistical support to the assailants. The same day, two gangsters, Manpreet Singh Manna and Saraj Sandhu, alias Mintoo, were brought on production warrants. The SIT had secured three more days’ remand on Sunday.
Man who did recce was roped in by Sachin Bishnoi
The SIT on Monday also officially arrested a Haryana resident, Sandeep Kumar, alias Kekra, who allegedly passed on the real-time information about the movement of Moose Wala’s vehicle to the shooters. He was detained by police on Saturday after his alleged involvement came to the fore during the probe.
A CCTV image has surfaced from the slain Punjabi singer’s village in Mansa moments before he was killed. The CCTV footage dated May 29, the day the killing took place, shows Moose Wala’s jeep which stopped near some people. In the footage, some people are seen taking selfies. The footage was recorded at 5:15 pm, while the singer was shot dead at 5:30 pm.
Sources in the Punjab Police said that the CCTV footage revealed Kekra spent 40 minutes at the singer’s house as a fan and later also took selfies after stopping him outside his house. In fact, Kekra was the one who informed the shooters that Moose Wala was travelling in his Thar leaving behind his bullet-proof vehicle and was not accompanied by his gunmen for security.
Police sources said Kekra was roped in for doing the recce by Sachin Bishnoi, who had earlier claimed to have killed Moose Wala. Sachin also claimed to be the nephew of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The official said Kekra is not an active gangster but a long-time friend of Sachin.
Fatehabad man’s involvement in singer’s killing suspected
The Moga police also arrested a Haryana resident from Fatehabad for the murder of a Moga gangster, while his involvement in the killing of Moose Wala is also suspected.
A crime investigation agency (CIA) team from Moga arrested Devinder Singh of Fatehabad in connection with the murder of gangster Harjit Singh Penta, who was shot dead at Marhi Mustafa village in Moga’s Baghapurana in April. Penta, a member of the Devinder Bambiha gang, was allegedly killed on the directions of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. This is the third arrest by the Moga police in this case and all three accused are suspected to be involved in Moose Wala’s murder as well.
Three days after Moose Wala’s murder, Moga police arrested two men, Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb, linked to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi from Haryana’s Fatehabad in Penta’s murder case. Manpreet Mannu, who is one of the alleged shooters in Moose Wala case, had shot dead Penta.
SUV used in crime brought from Rajasthan
“Devinder is facing a 10-year sentence in a Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case registered in Moga after 3 kg of opium was recovered from him. He was out on parole. The probe found he was involved in Penta’s murder and his role in Moose Wala’s murder also surfaced,” a senior official of the Moga police said.
According to police sources, Devinder is suspected of providing the white Mahindra Bolero SUV, used in the crime, to the shooters. He is facing at least six NDPS cases in Fatehabad. “Two other Haryana residents had approached Devinder on May 16. The probe found Naseeb had brought the Bolero to Fatehabad from Rawatsar in Rajasthan and handed it over to both Haryana residents suspected in the Moose Wala case, one among them brought the SUV to Punjab,” sources said.
In the first week of May, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police arrested three aides of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and Canada-based outlaw Goldy Brar from Bathinda. The AGTF had claimed that they were planning to target a prominent businessman of the Malwa region for extortion. They used to procure weapons for the gang from other states and deliver them to accomplices for targeted killings. With the use of sophisticated weapons, this angle is also under investigation if the actual target was Moose Wala.
