Sidhu Moosewala murder: Punjab Police gets custody of 4 Bishnoi gang members for 8 days

In a big development on Tuesday, a Mansa court sent 4 members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to police custody for 8 days for their involvement in Sidhu Moosewala's murder. This includes the alleged shooters- Priyavrat alias Fauji and Kuldeep, Bishnoi's close aide Deepak and logistics provider Keshav. They were produced before the Mansa court after getting their transit remand from Delhi. As per sources, all 4 accused will be interrogated by the Punjab Police for the next 8 days.

As per the Punjab Police, Bishnoi has admitted that he was the mastermind in the killing of the Congress leader-cum-singer. While he is already in the Punjab Police's custody, Fauji and Kuldeep were arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell from the Kutch district of Gujarat on June 19. On Monday, the Special Cell arrested Sachin Bhiwani and a sharpshooter named Ankit Sirsa in connection with this case. Moosewala unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls on a Congress ticket from Mansa. 

The Sidhu Moosewala murder case

Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the Jawahar Ke village. AAP came under fire for his murder as the state government reduced his security just a day earlier along with 423 other VIPs. Addressing a press conference, Punjab DGP VK Bhawra clarified that two police personnel from Commando Battalion were deployed with the singer but he didn't take them along while leaving the house. The assailants were booked under Sections 120B, 148, 149, 302, 307, 341 and 427 of the IPC and 25 and 27 of the Arms Act. 

On June 1, Punjab DGP VK Bhawra reconstituted the SIT under the supervision of ADGP Anti-Gangster Task Force head Pramod Ban. An official statement said, "In its fresh orders, the DGP stated that the SIT shall conduct the investigation on a day-to-day basis, arrest the perpetrators of this heinous crime, and on completion of the investigation, a police report under section 173 CrPCN shall be submitted in the court of competent jurisdiction". After the Punjab and Haryana High Court turned down the state government's plea urging a sitting judge to conduct the death probe, the Congress party renewed its demand for a CBI or NIA probe.