Lawrence Bishnoi to stay in Delhi cops’ custody for five more days

Bishnoi, 30, has been in the news for the last one week after Punjab police announced in a press conference that the gangster and his accomplice, Canada-based Goldy Brar, are suspects in the murder of singer and Congress leader, Sidhu Moosewala on May 29.

A Delhi court on Saturday sent Lawrence Bishnoi to five more days in Delhi Police’s custody after the investigators said they required the gangster’s custody to identify people who supplied weapons to criminals in the national Capital.

Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi being produced at Patiala House Court by the special cell of Delhi Police on Sunday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Bishnoi (30) has been in the news for the last one week after Punjab police announced in a press conference that the gangster and his accomplice Goldy Brar (based in Canada) are suspects in the murder of singer and Congress leader, Sidhu Moosewala on May 29.

Moosewala was shot dead by gunmen at around 5.30pm on May 29 when he, along with his cousin and a friend was driving to Jawaharke village in Punjab’s Mansa district. While Punjab police have arrested at least three alleged members of Bishnoi’s gang, they will have to wait for another five days to question Bishnoi -- their prime suspect.

To be sure, Delhi Police in their remand application have not mentioned if they were probing Bishnoi for Moosewala’s murder. Delhi police had on May 31 arrested Bishnoi from Tihar jail number 8 in a 2021 case of arms smuggling. He has been lodged in Tihar Jail since last year when Delhi Police filed a case of anti-organised crime law, MCOCA Act against him and his other gang members. Police said Bishnoi has been helping other gangs in the capital with getting arms.The alleged case of arms smuggling is one such case in which Bishnoi allegedly helped Delhi-based Jitender Gogi’s gang with procuring weapons, according to the Delhi police.

Bishnoi’s lawyer, advocate Vishal Chopra said, “There were reports that my client confessed to Moosewala’s murder. But police did not say anything about that case in court today. In their application, they have only said that they need to take my client (Bishnoi) to different states to recover weapons and identify the arms suppliers. This is related to a Delhi case and not the murder in Punjab.”

Chopra added, “Police said they will not take Bishnoi to Faridkot in Punjab for now because of security reasons, after the Punjab Police announced his alleged involvement in the muder of Sidhu Moosewala.”

Delhi Police is yet to comment on Bishnoi’s alleged role in Moosewala murder case but many officers who asked not to be named confirmed that he is indeed being questioned about his role after reports that some Delhi criminals had helped the Bishnoi gang execute Moosewala’s murder last week.