Claiming that the investigations in Sidhu Moosewala’s murder case are going in the right direction, Punjab Police on Thursday maintained that four shooters involved in the world-renowned Punjabi singer-rapper’s killing have been identified.

The police teams have been conducting raids to arrest them. The Police have not officially released their pictures, but have circulated the same. The shooters have been identified as Priyawarat of Sonepat in Haryana, his associate Ankit, Manu Kusa of Moga in Punjab, and Jagroop Singh alias Roopa of Amritsar in Punjab.

The police claimed that a fuel receipt of Fatehabad’s petrol pump, recovered from the Balero car used in the crime, helped them to identify Priyawarat Fauji. The police maintained that a “small clue” found in the vehicle used in the crime followed by “technical inputs” helped the Punjab Police to unveil the trail of events that occurred before the murder of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh — popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, which led to the arrest of 10 accused persons including the main conspirator gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

Notably, Sidhu Moosewala, who left his house at around 5 pm on May 29 along with his neighbour Gurwinder Singh and cousin Gurpreet Singh, was shot dead by some unidentified persons. He was driving his Mahindra Thar. Taking strong note, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), to put the killers of Moosewala behind the bars.

“One of the important leads was the recovery of a fuel receipt, dated May 25, 2022, of the Fatehabad-based petrol pump from the Bolero car, which was used in the crime and later found abandoned near Khayala village, about 13 km from the place of crime,” said the ADGP, AGTF, Pramod Ban, adding that a Police team was immediately dispatched to the petrol station of Fatehabad to gather the CCTV footage on the same day.

“The Police teams have procured CCTV footage and managed to identify one of the persons, possibly a shooter, who was later identified as Priyawarat of Sonipat. The CCTV footage was also procured from the route taken by the Bolero before and after the filling of the diesel at the Petrol Pump station,” he said.

Similarly, the ownership of the Bolero was traced with the help of engine number and chassis number, he added.

ALL VEHICLES USED IN CRIME RECOVERED

Pertinently, the Police have recovered all the vehicles — including Mahindra Bolero, Toyota Corolla, and White Alto car — used in the crime. The assailants in Toyota Corolla had stopped and snatched a White Alto car at gunpoint, leaving behind the Corolla, which got damaged during the incident and escaped towards Khara Barnala village followed by the white Bolero Jeep. The white Alto was also found abandoned on May 30, 2022, at 3.30 am near Dharamkot in Moga district and the route taken by the accused was identified from the CCTV footage.

PROBE FOCUSSED ON HARYANA ALONG WITH PUNJAB

After the police recovered the fuel receipt of the Fatehabad-based petrol pump, the police intensified its investigation, also focusing on the neighbouring Haryana along with Punjab. Following this, some suspects were picked up from different places in Haryana. And after interrogation, Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb Khan, who provided the Bolero, were caught.

10 ACCUSED ARRES TED SO FAR; RAIDS ON TO NAB OTHERS

In a major breakthrough in Sidhu Moosewala’s case, Punjab police has managed to bring gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who was lodged at Delhi’s Tihar Jail, on production warrant to the state for questioning and with the hope of succeeding in connecting the dots to solve the case and nab all the accused. Besides Lawrence Bishnoi, who has been named as the prime accused, the police has also arrested nine others — identified as Charanjit Singh alias Chetan of Ballram Nagar in Bathinda; Sandeep Singh alias Kekda of Sirsa (Haryana); Manpreet Singh alias Manna of Talwandi Sabo (Bathinda); Manpreet Bhau of Dhaipai (Faridkot); Saraj Mintu of Dode Kalsia village (Amritsar); Prabhdeep Sidhu alias Pabbi of Takhat-Mall (Haryana); Monu Dagar of Rewli village in Sonipat (Haryana); Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb — both residents of Fatehabad (Haryana).

All have been arrested for hatching conspiracy, providing logistic support, conducting recce, and harbouring the shooters, said ADGP Ban.

ADGP said that the registration number of the Corolla car was found to be genuine and the owner was identified, however, the person on whose name an affidavit of purchase was recovered was not the actual owner but had given his Aadhaar Card to Manpreet Manna (gangster linked to Goldy Brar), who is lodged in Ferozepur Jail.

Manpreet Bhau, who was arrested from Chamoli in Uttarakhand on May 30, 2022, on suspicion of Corolla car was being used by him, revealed during interrogation that he had delivered the car to two suspected shooters — identified as Manu Kusa of Moga and Jagroop Singh alias Roopa of Amritsar on the directions of Manpreet Manna.

He also revealed that the shooters were provided by Saraj Mintu, who is a close aide of Goldy Brar and Sachin Thapan, and is believed to be a part of the group of shooters.

Prabhdeep Sidhu alias Pabbi, who was arrested on June 3, 2022, told in his interrogation that he had provided shelter to two associates of Goldy Brar, who had come and stayed with him and he helped them to conduct recce of Sidhu Moosewala’s house. He has also visited the house and interacted with the security and checked the cameras etc, it is revealed.

Following reliable input, Monu Dagar, a close associate of Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi, was also brought on a production warrant. During interrogation, he confessed to having arranged two shooters — identified as Priyawarat and Ankit on the directions of Goldy Brar.

He also disclosed that Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb had procured White Bolero Jeep used in the incident from Sadul Shaher and further handed over to the shooters through a person identified as Keshav of Bathinda and had also provided them hideout.

Sandeep Kekda, who was arrested on June 6, 2022, during questioning revealed that his brother Bittu of Kalianwali along with Nikku Takhat Mal of Sirsa in Haryana had been conducting a recce of the movements of Moosewala. He revealed that on May 29, 2022, his brother Bittu had tasked him to accompany Nikku on his motorcycle to visit the house of Moosewala posing as his fans.

Kekda also confessed that they took selfie with the singer on Nikku’s mobile phone and the latter made a video call to Sachin Thapan to inform him about the real-time information about Moosewala that he had left his house without security and sitting on the driver's seat in the Black Thar Jeep. 

INVESTIGATION POINTED TOWARDS LAWRENCE, GOLDY BRAR TO BE MASTERMIND

The investigation, so far, has revealed that the arrested accused were acting on the directions of Lawrance Bishnoi and Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, Sachin Thapan, Anmol Bishnoi and Vikram Brar (now in Dubai). Further, these gangsters had bluntly claimed responsibility for the murder through Facebook profiles, said ADGP Ban. He said that Lawrance Bishnoi, Goldy Brar, and others have been nominated as accused and conspirators in this case along with their gang members.

AGTF, SIT WORKING IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH CENTRAL AGENCIES, OTHER STATE POLICE

ADGP Ban said that the AGTF and SIT are working in close coordination with Central Agencies and other State Police Forces to identify and arrest the suspected shooters and others involved at the earliest.

ROLE OF ARRESTED ACCUSED

Sandeep Kekda: Conducted Moosewala’s recce on May 29, posing as his fan; Shared complete detailed information to the shooters, and gangsters sitting abroad

Manpreet Manna: Jailed gangster linked to Goldy Brar handed over his Corolla car to Manpreet Bhau; The same car was later used by the shooters to commit the crime

Saraj Mintu: Jailed gangster, close to Goldy Brar and Sachin Thapan; Contacted Manpreet Bhau asking to give Corolla car to two persons, believed to be shooters

Manpreet Bhau: Took Corolla car sent by Manna, and then hand it over to two persons on the behest of Saraj Mintu

Prabhdeep Pabbi: Sheltered two of Goldy Brar's  accomplices — both from Haryana in January 2022; Both of them had conducted a recce of Moosewala's house and the nearby roads; Court has granted Pabbi’s three-day remand to police; Police questioning him to get information about the shooters

Monu Dagar: Provided two shooters at Goldy Brar’s behest; Helped them form a team of shooters which later kill Moosewala

Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb: Both of them took the Bolero car to the shooters, who killed Moosewala; Also helped shooters in hiding