‘Mastermind’ sent to 4-day police custody

The district police on Saturday brought gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, lodged in Amritsar jail, on production warrants in connection with the murder of gangster Lavi Deora in Kotkapura on July 15.

He was presented before a local court, which sent him to four-day police remand. The police, which suspect Bhagwanpuria to be the main conspirator behind the murder, claimed that his remand can help trace the two co-accused in the case, who are on the run.

Police had booked a total of four accused including undertrial prisoner Deepak Kumar of Bhiwani, who escaped the custody of Panchkula police in June. The others booked were Sampat Nehra of Chandigarh and Bhola ‘Shooter’ of Kotkapura.

Bhola was held by the Chandigarh police following a tip off on Thursday while Deepak and Sampat are on the run.

It is alleged that Sampat, Deepak and Bhola were the three who fired seven bullets at Deora when he was standing in a ticket queue for a fair at Kotakpura grain market ground. Police had said the accused belong to Lawrence Bishnoi gang, while Deora was a member of wanted criminal Vicky Gounder’s gang.

“They killed Deora as he had abused them on social media,” said a police officer. Deora, who was released on bail 12 days before his murder, had a fight with Bhola in the Faridkot jail too, it is also learnt. The police said Deora and Bhola, both from Kotkapura, wanted to assert their supremacy in the region. Their aides were even trying for a compromise between them before Bhola killed Deora. HTC