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Sidhu Moosewala murder case: Pune police arrest shooter Santosh Jadhav, accomplice from Gujarat
Last week, Punjab police probing Moosewala murder claimed Jadhav is one of the suspects who along with others shot dead the singer
Pune police have arrested two persons including shooter Santosh Jadhav (35), a suspect in Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala’s murder case, officials said on Monday. Jadhav, an accused in the 2021 murder case in Pune, was on the run for the past few months. Last week, Punjab police probing Moosewala murder claimed Jadhav is one of the suspects who along with others shot dead the singer.
Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified attackers while a gang led by Lawrence Bishnoi had taken the responsibility for the murder. According to the autopsy report, his body bore 19 bullet injury marks.
The local crime branch (LCB) unit of the Pune rural police arrested Jadhav and his accomplice Navnath Suryavanshi (22), from Kutch district in Gujarat.
According to the additional director general of police (law and order) Kulwant Sarangal, Jadhav is one of the assailants in Sidhu Moosewala murder case and also a suspect in the threat case of Bollywood Salman Khan and his father Salim Khan.
Last week, Punjab police probing the murder claimed Jadhav is one of the suspects who along with others shot dead the singer. “We apprehended Jadhav and Suryavanshi after receiving information from Mahakal. Jadhav, Mahakal and Suryawanshi are associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and are suspected to have a role in the Moosewala murder case,” said Sarangal.
According to Sarangal, Jadhav has been arrested in the murder case of Omkar alias Ranya Bankhele, a criminal on record who was shot dead in August 2021 at Manchar near Pune. A first information report ( FIR) against him was lodged at Manchar police station and later Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was invoked in the case. The official said Jadhav, who was on the run for a year, had shaved his head and changed his appearance to evade arrest.
“We are ascertaining their exact role in the murder case,” Sarangal said, adding that more persons from Maharashtra are linked to the Bishnoi gang, which has a pan-India presence.
“The Mosewala case is being probed by Punjab police, we are coordinating with them,” said Sarangal.
According to FIR, Suryavanshi had sheltered Jadhav who was caught in Nagore in Mandvi taluka of Kutch district.
Special Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kolhapur range Manoj Lohiya and the superintendent of Pune rural Abhinav Deshmukh were also present during the media interaction on Monday.
The rural police had arrested Saurabh alias Sidhesh alias Mahakal Hiraman Kamble who had sheltered Jadhav. While investigating the case, the LCB team received information that Jadhav was hiding in Gujarat. A police team was sent to Gujarat which nabbed Suryawanshi in Mandvi.
Jadhav was produced before a judicial magistrate late on Sunday night (June 12) and he has been remanded to police custody till June 20.
A senior investigation officer said that technical analysis of social media logging helped them reach the accused.
