Detained? Would rather take a bullet, Goldy Brar calls scribe to diss AAP govt’s arrest claims
India

Detained? Would rather take a bullet, Goldy Brar calls scribe to diss AAP govt’s arrest claims

It was widely reported Friday that the alleged murderer of singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala had been caught by the FBI; Punjab CM had confirmed news.

   
Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar | Photo/Twitter via ANI

Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar | Photo/Twitter via ANI

Chandigarh: Goldy Brar would rather blow up his head than be arrested alive, the Punjabi gangster told a journalist in a telephonic interview posted Monday, dismissing claims that he had been detained in the US by the Federal bureau of Investigation (FBI).

It was widely reported Friday that the alleged murderer of singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala was caught in the US.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had also confirmed Brar’s custody while addressing the media in Gujarat the same day. Mann said he could authenticate the news as the “head of state”.

Cabinet minister Anmol Gagan Maan had even claimed over the weekend that Brar would be brought back to Punjab from Canada.

Brar, who is a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, is believed to be living in Canada. He is wanted by Indian authorities for various crimes, including the sensational murder of Sidhu Moose Wala in May this year.

The gangster called journalist Ritesh Lakhi to say he was neither detained nor arrested in the US – in a telephonic interview aired on the scribe’s YouTube channel on Monday morning.

In the 25-minute conversation – where one could hear a voice identified as Brar’s – the gangster claimed that he had left Canada and the US “long ago”. Brar added that he would rather blow up his head with a bullet than be arrested alive. He said Mann was lying and was being scorned all around for his statement.

Following the video, Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang told the media that the chief minister stands by his claim. He said it was up to the Opposition to believe Brar, a gangster, or a democratically chosen chief minister.

The Opposition, however, had a field day Monday targetting Mann for “lying” to the people to earn brownie points ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections, where his Aam Aadmi Party is a contender.

Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia tweeted: “What can be more damning. Senior journalist @RiteshLakhi interviews dreaded gangster Goldy Brar who CM @BhagwantMann claims has been detained by US authorities. Goldy is not only roaming free but ordering murders at will. CM owes explanation to Pbis. Why did he lie to them.”

Congress’ Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa tweeted Monday that the Ministry of External Affairs or the Union Home Ministry should issue an official statement on the status of Brar’s detention.

State Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also told reporters that the chief minister’s statement was a political stunt aimed at the Gujarat elections.

Cabinet ministers Harjot Singh Bains and Kuldeep Dhaliwal refused to comment saying it was either the Centre or the chief minister who could take questions on this.

AAP spokesperson Kang said the state government had its own limitations with regard to providing such information and that any additional detail could only come from central agencies.

He lashed out at Majithia saying the gangster culture flourished in Punjab during the 10 years of the Akali regime.

During the interview, Lakhi asked Brar if he was speaking while in police detention. To this, Brar said his gang had just killed gangster Raju Theth in Rajasthan. “How is that possible while I am in detention? But if you still do not believe me, I will give you another proof in coming days,” Brar added.

Brar also said the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government was promoting gangster culture instead of rooting it out. “When a youngster is arrested for the possession of even a crude weapon, he is booked under the UAPA and put in jail for four years. Do you think he will get reformed in jail?” Brar asked.

When asked about an alleged phone call between him and Lucky Patial, who heads the Davinder Bambiha gang, Brar said he had talked to him on more than one occasion and would soon release recordings of the conversations. Patial also operates from a foreign country.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang and the Davinder Bambiha gang have traditionally been at logger heads with each other. Moose Wala was allegedly killed because the Lawrence Bishnoi gang suspected he was supporting the activities of the Bambiha gang.

Brar said there was nothing left in the Bambiha group and that they were merely going around taking credit for any crime that happened in the state. He quipped that the rival gang would soon take credit for road accidents.

Brar also made Lakhi talk to gangster Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa Harike, while on the call. Harike is also a member of Brar’s gang. He has been named as the mastermind of the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the police intelligence headquarters in Mohali in May.

Last week Sidhu Moose Wala’s father Balkaur Singh offered Rs 2 crore as reward to anyone who would hand over Brar to the police.


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