Police make first arrest in Moose Wala killing
Manpreet Bhau of Dhaipe village of Mansa district is accused of providing 2 vehicles to killers used in the murder
CHANDIGARH/MANSA : The Punjab Police on Tuesday made its first arrest in the murder of singer-politician Sidhu Moose Wala, identifying the suspect as Mansa resident Manpreet Bhau.
Moose Wala was shot dead at Jawahar Ke village near his native village Moosa by some unidentified assailants when he was driving his jeep on Sunday evening.
Sent to five-day police remand
Manpreet Bhau of Dhaipe village of Mansa district was sent to five-day police remand by the court of the Mansa chief judicial magistrate. Police said Bhau provided logistic support to the killers, including arranging two vehicles used in the crime.
“The first arrest has been made in the murder of Sidhu Moose Wala. Police has secured five-day police remand of an accused from a Mansa court. As per investigation, he played a key role in the murder plot,” said inspector general of police Parveen Kumar Yadav.
The state police have blamed gang rivalry and accused a group led by a gangster Lawrence Bishnoi for the murder.
Bhau, who was detained from Dehradun on suspicion on Monday in a joint operation of Punjab Police and their Uttarakhand counterparts, is suspected to have provided a Bolero and Toyota Corolla to the killers.
4 detained from Dehradun being interrogated
Four more persons, who were detained along with Bhau from Dehradun, are also being interrogated, said officials privy to the development.
Bhau is facing an attempt to murder case in Faridkot city police station and another FIR under the Arms Act in Kurali, the police claimed. He is suspected to have involved a few other locals to keep an eye on the movement of the singer around his house in Moosa village.
2 gangsters brought on production warrant from Ferozepur, Bathinda jails
Mansa police, according to a senior functionary supervising the probe, have also brought two gangsters from a Ferozepur Central Jail and Bathinda Central Jail on production warrant after getting strong leads from Bahu.
The one taken on production warrant, senior officials said, is Manpreet Singh Manna, who in July last year, had killed gangsters Kulveer Singh Naruana and his accomplices Chamkaur Singh.
Manna, who hails from Talwandi Sabo, the police sources said, was in touch with Bishnoi from inside the Ferozepur jail. Manna and Bhau are distant relatives, the police probe has found.
Another gangster taken on production warrant from Bathinda Central Jail is Saraj Sandhu, another Bishnoi gang member, accused of killing a Hindu leader in Amritsar.
He was arrested in 2108. Both the gangsters were brought to Mansa for interrogation on Tuesday morning.
“Our theory till now is revolving around the Bishnoi gang and we have got a few vital leads in the case,” senior official of the intelligence wing said.
A Punjab Police team has already been deputed to explore the possibilities of brining Lawrence Bishnoi on production warrant in the case.
After the killing, the gang took the responsibility and termed it an act of revenge of killing of Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera, who was shot dead in Mohali in August last year.