More than a fortnight after world-renowned Punjabi rapper-singer Sidhu Moosewala's broad-daylight murder in Mansa, Punjab Police is bringing the “prime accused” Lawrence Bishnoi to Punjab in a cavalcade of 20-vehicles, including two bullet-proof cars, manned by nearly 50 cops, including SSP-level officers.

The entire journey from Delhi to Mansa in Punjab, where he is to be produced on Wednesday, is being videographed on the Delhi court’s directions which permitted the Punjab Police to take his custody on Tuesday. The cavalcade, including Punjab cops armed with sophisticated weapons, left at around 8 pm, and is expected to reach around midnight.

Notably, Mansa local court had, on Monday, issued production warrants of Lawrence Bishnoi in the matter, following which the Punjab police team reached Delhi on Tuesday to take his custody. As of now, Bishnoi was lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail.

Punjab police had moved two applications — one seeking his arrest and second to allow a transit remand to take him to Punjab. Allowing gangster’s custody to the Punjab police, the Delhi’s Patiala House court has also allowed the state police to take Bishnoi to Punjab under tight security by giving transit remand for a day.

On the day Sidhu Moosewala was killed on May 29, Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar had claimed the responsibility for the murder in a Facebook post on Sunday evening. Goldy Brar is a close aide of gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, who is also said to be involved in the singer's murder. They claimed that they had avenged the killing of youth Akali leader Vicky Middukhera, who was killed in 2021 at Mohali.

“All the persons that we have apprehended in Moosewala murder case have named Bishnoi...All interrogations till date has pointed towards Bishnoi. All this time, he was lodged at Delhi's Tihar Jail. So it has become all the more important to take his custody to question him to join the missing links,” a senior police officer said.

The officer said that the confession statements of the arrested accused were recorded wherein it was clearly pointed out that Bishnoi had tasked the co-accused to carry out the “planned killing” of Sidhu Moosewala.

The Punjab police, in the court, had also submitted that Delhi Police had questioned Lawrence Bishnoi, and they have clearly stated that he was the “key conspirator in the planned murder of Sidhu Moosewala via press conferences”.

“The arrested accused also stated that they were in direct touch with Satwinder Singh alias Goldy Brar, who is a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi. It is also pertinent to mention here that all the arrested accused are closely associated with Lawrence Bishnoi and his associates, and they have been involved together in multiple FIRs. The motive for the above said crime was found to be to avenge the killing of Vikramjeet Singh alias Vicky Middukhera, in which there was an alleged involvement of Shagundeep Singh, manager of Shubhdeep Singh, who is not missing,” it added.

Moosewala was killed on Sunday evening at Jawaharke village near Mansa when he was driving his Mahindra Thar with two companions accompanying him. The shooters had fired indiscriminately at him.

FOOL-PROOF SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS

Allowing transit remand, Delhi court has ordered Punjab police to make fool-proof security arrangements. As per court’s directions, a team of top police officers would take Bishnoi to Mansa, after thorough medical check-up. Bishnoi would be taken to Punjab under handcuffs and shackles to avoid any excuse of encounter, and in a bullet proof vehicle. Punjab Advocate-General Anmol Rattan Singh Sidhu, who appeared in the Delhi court, submitted that Punjab Police would take full responsibility of Bishnoi’s security if it was given his custody. “There will be about 50 police personnel of Punjab Police, two bullet proof vehicles, 12 vehicles will run on the way which will clear the route. All routes will be videographed. The entire order of the Supreme Court will be followed and passed in such related cases,” he said.

PUNJAB POLICE IN PUNE TO QUESTION JADHAV

Meanwhile, a three-member team of Punjab police on Tuesday reached Pune in Maharashtra to question suspected shooter Santosh Jadhav in connection with the Sidhu Moosewala murder case. Jadhav was arrested on Sunday night after which he was produced before a court in Pune around midnight on Sunday along with Navnath Suryawanshi, who is his aide, and they were remanded in police custody till June 20. Pune Rural Police on Monday said that they have arrested a man and his aide, who has been named as a suspect in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.

TWO ACTIVE MEMBERS OF BISHNOI GANG ARRESTED FROM MOHALI

The Mohali police and Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on Tuesday arrested two active members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, who were working on the directions of Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar. Gagandeep Singh alias Gaagi and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi were arrested along with arms and ammunition in Mohali while they were on their way to deliver a consignment of weapons, said Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Vivek Sheel Soni, adding that both are residents of Kingra, Dabbwali in Sirsa district of Haryana. SSP Soni said that two .32 calibre pistols were seized from them along with eight live cartridges and an SUV bearing a Haryana registration number. A case under relevant provisions of the law including the Arms Act has been registered against them at Mohali.

Moosewala's family appeals to political parties not to use name for political purposes

Chandigarh: The family of slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala has made an emotional appeal to all the political parties as well as individuals to not use their son’s name for any political or personal motives.

The appeal came days after the Punjab unit of the Congress party launched its poll song for party candidate Dalvir Singh Goldy, depicting pictures of Sidhu Moosewala’s last rites. Notably, Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala has joined the Congress the previous year, and unsuccessfully contested 2022 state assembly polls from Mansa.

The main opposition Congress is apparently trying to cash in on the public sympathy besides targeting the ruling AAP in the run-up to Sangrur by-election over the recent killing of the famous singer, along with other killings.