4 shooters identified, all on the run, says SIT
ADGP, anti-gangster task force, says 9 accused, who provided logistic support to shooters, and mastermind Lawrence Bishnoi arrested so far
CHANDIGARH : Nineteen days after Sidhu Moose Wala was shot dead, the Punjab Police’s special investigation team (SIT) probing the case on Thursday claimed that it has identified four shooters from the group of assailants who killed the Punjabi singer and Congress leader on May 29. However, no shooter has been arrested so far, it said.
The identified shooters include Manu Kusa from Kussa village of Moga, Jagroop Singh from Rumana village of Amritsar and Priyawarat and Ankit from Sonepat.
In a statement, ADGP, antigangster task force (ADTF) Parmod Ban, who is supervising the probe, said police have so far arrested 10 accused, who provided logistic support to the shooters. Those arrested also include gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who according to the police is the mastermind of the killing. Bishnoi was brought on a production warrant by the Punjab Police from Delhi’s Tihar jail.
Fuel receipt helped cops unveil trail of events
In the statement, the SIT revealed how a small clue found in the vehicle used in the crime followed by technical inputs
helped the Punjab Police unveil the trail of events that occurred before the murder of Moose Wala, leading to the arrest of 10 accused.
The SIT claimed that one of the important leads was the recovery of a fuel receipt (dated May 25, 2022) of a Fatehabad (Haryana) petrol pump from the
Balero SUV, which was used in the crime, and later found abandoned near Khayala village, about 13km from the place of crime. “The police teams procured CCTV footage and managed to identify one of the persons, possibly a shooter, who was later identified as Priyawarat of Sonepat,” the AGTF chief said.
‘Bishnoi evaded Punjab Police custody’
The SIT statement said that Bishnoi managed to get himself shifted to Rajasthan and Tihar jail and was continuously evading custody of Punjab Police thereafter. “He managed to get himself shifted to a Rajasthan jail and then Delhi’s Tihar jail to avoid staying in the custody of Punjab Police. While in jail, he got several murders and extortions committed in Punjab and Chandigarh for which he was nominated as an accused,” it said.
Bishnoi’s production warrants were issued by courts in Chandigarh and Punjab earlier too, but he moved the high court giving a plea of security threat. In these cases, he had also procured a stay against his production warrant by the Supreme Court, the SIT said.
The investigation so far has revealed that the arrested accused were acting on the directions of Bishnoi and Canada-based Goldy Brar, besides Sachin Thapan, Anmol Bishnoi and Vikram Brar (gangster from Haryana, who is now in Dubai).
Besides Bishnoi, police have so far arrested Charanjit Singh, alias Chetan, of Ballram Nagar in Bathinda; Sandeep Singh, alias Kekda of Sirsa, Haryana; Manpreet Singh, alias Manna, of Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda; Manpreet Bhau of Dhaipai, Faridkot; Saraj Mintu of Dode Kalsia, Amritsar; Prabhdeep Sidhu, alias Pabbi, of TakhatMall, Haryana; Monu Dagar of Rewari in Sonepat, Haryana; Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb, both residents of Fatehabad, Haryana. All have been arrested for hatching a conspiracy, providing logistic support, conducting recce and harbouring the shooters.