New Delhi: Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar’s associate Sachin Thapan has been detained in Azerbaijan, the Punjab Police said Friday, in a significant breakthrough in the murder probe of singer Sidhu Moose Wala.
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav attributed the apprehension of Thapan to the “combined efforts” of both countries. “… to provide justice to the (Moose Wala) family,” Yadav said.
Yadav said Thapan was in touch with Goldy Brar.
Big Development on #SidhuMooseWalaDeath case – Sachin Thapan, the person exchanging calls with Goldy Brar, is detained in Azerbaijan with support from the Government of India. Our combined efforts are there to provide justice to the family: DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/GDQuxY3VWF
— ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2022
It is believed jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi wanted to kill the 28-year-old singer Moose Wala to “avenge the murder” of Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera on 7 August 2021. He reportedly sought Brar’s help for the crime.
A little less than a year later, Moose Wala was shot dead by assailants in his car in Jawaharke village, Mansa. The singer had joined the Congress in 2021 and unsuccessfully contested the state polls from Mansa earlier this year.
It is learnt Bishnoi allegedly micro-managed Moose Wala’s murder from Tihar Jail with the help of Brar.
“Bishnoi hatched a conspiracy to mislead the police and protect his brother Anmol Bishnoi and close associate Sachin Thapan. He arranged for them to flee the country before the killing, as part of the entire murder plan,” Punjab Police Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Pramod Ban had told the media in June.
Sources had told ThePrint that Anmol and Thapan fled to the US through Dubai, adding that Anmol left in January and was currently believed to be in Mexico, while Thapan left the country in April.
The rationale behind settling them abroad was that Anmol and Thapan could coordinate and facilitate Moose Wala’s murder without being noticed or held culpable.
The passports, accessed by ThePrint, indicated that Anmol fled the country under the name ‘Bhanu Pratap’ while Thapan left as ‘Tilak Raj Toteja’.
Anmol has 18 cases against him and was released from a Jodhpur jail on bail in October 2021, while Thapan has 12, according to the police.