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2 shooters among 3 held over Moosewala’s killing in Delhi
Police also said that gangster Goldy Brar, who is in Canada, was in touch with the hitmen on the morning of the crime, and gave them explicit instructions.
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police on Monday announced that it arrested three people, including two shooters, in connection with the May 29 murder of Punjabi singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala, and gave details of how the murder was planned and perpetrated.
Police also said that gangster Goldy Brar, who is in Canada, was in touch with the hitmen on the morning of the crime, and gave them explicit instructions.
The three suspects — Priyavrat Fauji, Kashish alias Kuldeep and Keshav Kumar — were arrested from Kutch in Gujarat on June 19, special commissioner of police (special cell) HS Dhaliwal told reporters. A cache of munitions, including a Kalashnikov assault rifle, eight grenades, and three pistols with 50 rounds of cartridges, was recovered after the accused were questioned, he said.
Fauji and Kashish were the shooters, while Keshav was driving the vehicle used after leaving the scene of crime, Dhaliwal said.
Moosewala was shot dead in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29, a day after the Punjab government scaled down his security coverage. His SUV was intercepted by two vehicles — a Mahindra Bolero and a Toyota Corolla — and sprayed with about 30 bullets. There were six shooters involved, police said.
Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has been named the prime suspect in case, which is suspected to be a fallout of a gang rivalry — soon after Moosewala’s death, Brar took responsibility for the killing, saying it was revenge for the murder of Vicky Middukhera.
“Among the arrested persons, 26-year-old Priyavrat Fauji was module head, and the main shooter, while 24-year-old Kashish alias Kuldeep was the other shooter. Fauji was a member of the Ramkaran gang and worked as a sharpshooter. The other arrested person is 29-year-old Keshav Kumar, who transported the shooters after the incident and participated in all recces along with the shooters...” Dhaliwal said.
According to police, the six shooters were travelling in the two cars which intercepted Moosewala’s SUV. A special cell officer, asking not to be named, said that Bishnoi and Brar were keeping a close tab. “As per our information, Brar called one of the shooters on the day of incident, and ordered him to ensure the murder of Moosewala. ‘If guns don’t work, kill him in a blast’ was his order,” the officer said, adding that the shooters had purchased six Punjab Police uniforms but could not use them as they did not have name plates.
“Fauji, who originally hails from Garhi Sisana in Sonepat (Haryana), led the team of shooters and was in direct touch with Goldy Brar at the time of incident. This main shooter and executioner of the murder can be seen in CCTV footage of a petrol pump at Fatehgarh before the crime...” Dhaliwal said.
He added that Kashish, too, was seen in CCTV footage, and that the Jhajjar resident is wanted in a murder case in 2021, while Keshav, a resident of Bathinda, played the role of facilitator in the murder.
The special commissioner added that after interrogating Fauji, police recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition from Kirmara village in Haryana’s Hisar district on Monday.
“It included eight high explosive grenades... nine electric detonators, one assault rifle along with 20 rounds, three sophisticated star pistols... 36 rounds of 7.62 mm and part of an AK-47 assault rifle. The miscreants had kept grenades if guns did not suffice,” he said.
