8 shooters identified over murder of Moosewala
NEW DELHI: Eight sharp shooters who killed Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala have been identified, officials aware of the development said on Monday.
On May 29, Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab’s Mansa district, a day after the state government curtailed his security cover.
His cousin and a friend, who were travelling in a jeep with him, were also injured in the attack. Moosewala was among the 424 people whose security was withdrawn or curtailed by the Punjab Police on a temporary basis.
According to the officials aware of the matter, the suspects belong to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
The Punjab Police teams have been conducting raids in the three states in connection with the murder.
The developments comes hours after an accused arrested for murder of a gangster was found to be suspected in involvement in the Moosewala murder.
The arrested accused is suspected of providing the Bolero car used by the shooters to gun down Moosewala in Jawaharke village in Mansa district of Punjab on May 29.
On June 3, two other suspects were nabbed by the Punjab Police from Fatehabad and their roles in Moosewala’s killing were being probed.
Two days after the killing of Moosewala in Mansa district, the Punjab Police on Tuesday made the first arrest in this case. The arrested person, Manpreet Singh, was accused of providing logistical support to the assailants.
The Punjab Police had termed the incident a case of an inter-gang rivalry and had said that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was behind the murder of Moosewala.
Canada-based Goldy Brar, who is the member of Bishnoi gang, had claimed the responsibility of the murder.
According to police, Moosewala’s murder appeared to be in retaliation of Akali leader Vicky Middukhera’s murder that took place last year. The name of Moosewala’s manager Shaganpreet had figured in the murder of Middukhera’s murder.
Meanwhile, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Punjab on June 7 to meet the family of singer Sidhu Moosewala, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants last week, party officials said on Monday.
Moosewala was the Congress candidate from the Mansa seat in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.
Gandhi will meet the parents of Moosewala and express condolences on behalf of the Congress leadership. Party leaders from Punjab will accompany Gandhi, the sources said. Union home minister Amit Shah and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann have already met Moosewala’s parents. Some senior state Congress leaders have also met them.