New Delhi: All eight men arrested in connection with the 29 May murder of singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala are associates and members of the Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang, top level sources in the Punjab Police have told ThePrint.
The accused allegedly put the 28-year-old’s residence in Mansa on round-the-clock surveillance, days before the killing. They would update their bosses and handlers abroad, including Canada-based gangster Brar, about the singer’s movements via the instant messaging app Signal, they added.
The gang conducted recces at various locations near Moose Wala’s home in shifts, so different people would be stationed at these points at different times, the sources further said, adding that “multiple attempts” had been made to execute the attack earlier.
Moose Wala was shot dead a day after his security cover was reportedly partially withdrawn by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab. In the days leading up to the killing, shooters were positioned around the singer’s residence, waiting for an opportunity, they said.
“We suspect that Bishnoi called the shots in the killing,” a Punjab police officer told ThePrint on condition of anonymity.
The Punjab Police are yet to take custody of Bishnoi, who is currently in the custody of the Delhi Police Special Cell. Before that, he was lodged in the national capital’s high-security Tihar Jail, where he has been incarcerated since 2021.
According to sources in the Delhi Police, Bishnoi has remained “uncooperative”, but told investigators that the singer was killed in an act of “revenge”.
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Search on for shooters
The eight men arrested so far in the Moose Wala murder case are Sandeep Singh alias Kekda, Manpreet Singh alias Manna, Manpreet Singh alias Bhau, Saraj Mintu, Prabhdeep Sidhu, Monu Dagar, Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb, according to a statement issued by Punjab’s information and public relations department Tuesday.
They reportedly provided logistical support to the shooters, who are yet to be arrested. However, Punjab Police had said Tuesday that they have identified four shooters so far and raids were on to nab them.
According to sources in the Punjab Police, the shooters were already stationed around Moose Wala’s house and routine recce was conducted from 25 to 29 May.
“It is a single road through which Moose wala was travelling. The moment it was communicated that he was moving without his security or bullet-proof vehicle, all shooters and gang members were alerted,” the sources further said, adding that the shooters had come in two cars — a Toyota Corolla and a Bolero.
ThePrint had earlier reported how sharpshooter Shahrukh had failed to complete the task of killing Moose Wala about six months ago due to the singer’s round-the-clock security.
Soon after, Moose Wala was killed, Goldy Brar had put out a Facebook post saying that the murder was committed to avenge the deaths of Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera in Mohali last year, and Goldy’s brother Gurlal Brar in Chandigarh in 2020.
Sachin Thapan Bishnoi, a cousin of Kuldeep Bishnoi, had said in an interview with News18 that he had killed Moose Wala with “his own hands”, claiming that the Punjabi singer had given shelter and financial support to Middukhera’s killers.
“Names of other persons belonging to Punjab and other states have also emerged, who had played a role in planning, providing logistic support, arms and ammunition and hideouts to the criminals, who carried out this dastardly act. Further investigation is on. Four shooters have been identified,” Additional Director General of Police, Anti Gangster Task Force, Punjab, Parmod Ban had said Tuesday.
Both Manna and Saraj Sandhu alias Mintu were already in jail during the time of the attack, he further said, adding: “Manna provided the Toyota Corolla car to Manpreet Singh alias Bhau, Saraj directed Bhau to provide the car to the shooters.”
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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