In a major headway in the Sidhu Moose Wala case, the Pune police have arrested Santosh Jadhav, a shooter allegedly involved in the popular singer’s murder, and his aide Navnath Suryavanshi, a suspect in the case. Jadhav (24), a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and Suryavanshi (27) were arrested on Sunday from Mandavi tehsil at Bhuj in Gujarat by a team of Pune rural police, Additional Director General (Law and Order) Kulwant Singh Sarangal said addressing a press conference. Jadhav was arrested in a 2021 murder case registered at Manchar police station in Maharashtra’s Pune district. On the run for a year, he had shaved his head and changed his appearance to evade arrest.
As the probe into the Moose Wala case progresses, News18 recaps the horrific murder that shook the country and plunged the Punjabi singer’s fans into grief.
What exactly happened?
A prominent personality in the Punjabi music industry who recently entered politics by joining the Congress just months ahead of the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, Moose Wala was shot dead in Mansa on May 29, a day after the state government withdrew his security.
The 28-year-old was travelling with his friend and cousin in a vehicle when unidentified persons drive past his car and fired multiple rounds. Punjab Police confirmed that there was no security personnel present with the singer, and he was not travelling in his bulletproof car.
Moose Wala sustained eight bullet injuries, while his two companions inside the car were injured.
The political blame-game
Soon after the murder, Congress and BJP leaders attacked the AAP government for withdrawing the singer’s security and making the information public. Congress leaders called the death of Moose Wala a “political killing” and demanded Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s resignation.
The BJP also hit out at the Mann-led Punjab government, questioning the logic behind removing the security of a prominent figure like Sidhu Moose Wala.
Under pressure, the Punjab government soon restored the security of all individuals.
Did anyone take responsibility for the murder?
Hours after the news of Sidhu Moose Wala’s killing broke out, Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, a close aide of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, claimed responsibility for the attack on Facebook.
The Punjab Police, after the initial probe into the matter, concluded that the death of Moose Wala was a consequence of an inter-gang rivalry. Punjab Police chief VK Bhawra, at a press conference hours after the shocking murder, said that the killing could have been a fallout of the murder of Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera last August.
Delhi Police has said Bishnoi was the mastermind behind the killing and at least five people were involved in the crime. Bishnoi reportedly told investigators that his gang’s members, including Brar, hatched a conspiracy and killed Moose Wala, officials said on June 3. According to them, Bishnoi, who is in the custody of the Delhi Police’s Special Cell, has alleged that Moose Wala was involved in the killing of Akali Dal youth leader Vikramjit Singh alias Vicky Middukhera on August 7 last year which led to a “rivalry” between him and the Punjabi singer.
What about the probe so far?
On May 31, two days after the murder, Punjab Police made the first arrest. Manpreet Singh was accused of providing logistic support to the assailants though police said he was not among the attackers who had opened indiscriminate fire on Moose Wala’s vehicle.
A day later, Punjab Police decided to question Bishnoi. Meanwhile, the singer’s family wrote to the Centre seeking a probe by central agencies into his brutal murder.
So far, according to the Punjab Police, eight people have been arrested on charges of providing logistic support, conducting recce and harbouring the shooters of the singer.
Police also said they have identified four shooters who were involved in the crime. Those arrested have been identified as Sandeep Singh, alias Kekda, of Sirsa, Haryana; Manpreet Singh, alias Manna, of Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda; and Manpreet Bhau of Dhaipai, Faridkot.
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