8 arrested so far for aiding shooters in Moosewala murder: Cops

Police on Monday had identified eight sharpshooters from Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan may be linked with the murder and are associated with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

A special investigation team (SIT) of Mansa police on Tuesday said eight people have been arrested so far for allegedly providing logistics support, conducting recce and harbouring the attackers of Punjabi singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala, who was shot dead last month.

Besides this, police said they have also identified four more shooters who may have been possibly involved in the crime. Police on Monday had identified eight sharpshooters from Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan may be linked with the murder and are associated with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, the main suspect in the case.

The eight people who were arrested were identified as Sandeep Singh alias Kekra of Sirsa in Haryana, Manpreet Singh alias Manna of Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda, Manpreet Bhau of Dhaipai in Faridkot, Saraj Mintu of Dode Kalsia village in Amritsar, Prabhdeep Sidhu alias Pabbi of Takhat-Mall, Monu Dagar of Rewli village in Sonepat and Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb (who goes by one name), both residents of Fatehabad, in Haryana.

Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) additional director general of police (ADGP) Parmod Ban said Sandeep was arrested after CCTV footage showed him taking selfies with the singer along with other local residents outside Moosewala’s house on May 29, before the singer was shot dead.

Police suspect Sandeep had passed information about Moosewala’s movement to the shooters. Police also suspect that Sandeep was acting on instructions of one Sachin Thapan Bishnoi, who recently claimed to be Lawrence Bishnoi’s nephew and among the shooters who killed Moosewala, Ban said.

Sandeep is not an active gangster but a long time friend of Sachin, officials had said earlier..

“Sandeep shared all inputs like the singer was not accompanied by his security personnel, number of occupants in the vehicle and that Moosewala was travelling in a non-bullet-proof vehicle, as the shooters and handlers operated from abroad,” Ban said in a statement.

Manpreet Singh had provided a Toyota Corolla car to Manpreet Bhau, who further passed the vehicle to two unidentified persons suspected to be the shooters, on the direction of Saraj Mintu, an aide of Sachin Thapan and Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, Ban said.

The ADGP said that Prabhdeep Sidhu had provided shelter to two unidentified accomplices of Goldy Brar, who had come to the state from Haryana in January this year, and (Sidhu) had also conducted recee of Moosewala’s home. Monu Dagar had provided two shooters and helped bring together the entire team of attackers to kill Moosewala on the directions of Goldy Brar, he added.

Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb had handed over a Bolero vehicle to the shooters and also provided them with a hideout, Ban said.

Moosewala was shot dead at Jawaharke village in Mansa district of Punjab on May 29, a day after the state government pruned his security cover. An autopsy report later claimed that the singer bore 19 bullet injury marks and would have died within 15 minutes.

Hours after the incident on May 29, Punjab director general of police (DGP) VK Bhawra said the killing was a result of gang rivalry and that Bishnoi’s gang and Brar appeared to be involved in the crime.

On May 31, Bishnoi was arrested by Delhi Police in connection with a case of arms act registered against him and his accomplices in the capital last year. The special cell of Delhi Police said Bishnoi’s role in the murder of Moosewala would also be probed.

©Hindustan Times

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