Moosewala murder: Allegations of gangster Bhagwanpuria’s ties with SAD leaders resurface
Sandeep Singh, a relative of SAD leader Nirmal Singh Kahlon, is on the run. He was allegedly working for gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria who is in police remand in the Moosewala murder case.
The alleged relations between gangster Jagdeep Singh, also known as Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) leaders are under the scanner again. Bhagwanpuria is on remand with the Punjab Police in the murder case of singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popular as Sidhu Moosewala. Sandeep Singh, a close relative of former Punjab speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon, is on the run in the same case. Sandeep Singh was allegedly working for Bhagwanpuria.
Bhagwanpuria’s native village Bhagwanpur is in Dera Baba Nanak Assembly constituency. The village had voted in favour of the SAD (Badal) candidate Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon, son of Nirmal Singh Kahlon, in the recent Assembly elections.
During the Assembly poll campaign, then sitting home minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Congress candidate from Dera Baba Nanak had made a complaint to the Election Commission that the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang was helping Akali candidate Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon.
“I was home minister and the Bhagwanpuria gang did not allow workers of my Congress party to install a booth in Bhagwanpur village on election day. I got only 157 votes from Bhagwanpur village,” said Randhawa. SAD(B) candidate Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon secured 419 votes, whereas AAP candidate Gurpartap Randhawa got 255 votes in Bhagwanpur village. Randhawa had managed to win the seat with a narrow margin with Ravi Karan Singh Kahlon as the runner-up.
“Sandeep Singh is on the run. My stand has been vindicated. I have been saying for a long time that the Kahlon family has links with gangsters, yet they have been given protection by the Centre. I request the Union home ministry to withdraw the security provided to the Kahlon family and investigate their links with the Punjab gangsters,” said Randhawa.
Ravi Kahlon has, however, claimed that he had no warm relations with Sandeep Singh. “Sandeep Singh is my relative but we were not on good terms with him,” Ravi Kahlon told The Indian Express while refuting Randhawa’s allegations that Sandeep was closely associated with the Kahlon family.
Ravi Kahlon had, while celebrating his birthday, posted a picture with Sandeep at his house in Amritsar on March 1. Sandeep was recruited as a panchayat officer in 2001 during the SAD(B) rule.
Allegations of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s relations with SAD(B) not new
The Indian Express had reported on July 1 that a 2020 report signed by three IPS officers, including Kunwar Vijay Partap (Now Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Amritsar North), then inspector general of police; Surjit Singh, then deputy inspector of counter-intelligence; and Patil Ketan Balaram, then additional inspector general, mentioned serious allegations about the involvement of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria with politicians.
