Punjab Police arrests Manpreet Singh Bhau in connection with the pop icon’s murder. They have also detained five men connected with it. Meanwhile, Delhi Police questioned Lawrence Bishnoi regarding the assassination.
On Tuesday, Punjab Police arrested Manpreet Singh Bhau from Uttarakhand in connection with Sidhu Moosewala’s murder. They produced him before a Mansa court, which sent him under their custody for five days. Police arrested Manpreet within 24 hours of the murder of the Punjabi icon. They have also detained five others in Uttarakhand in connection with the murder.
Manpreet hails from the Dhyapi village in Faridkot. He is also the cousin of Manpreet Singh Manna ,who is also in jail for the murder of the gangster Kulbir Narauna. Manna is currently in Faridkot jail for interrogation regarding Moosewala’s murder. According to the police, Manpreet was not one of those assailants who opened fire at Moosewala’s jeep. Instead, Manpreet had given Manna’s white Toyota Corolla car to the assailants.
a CCTV footage emerged on social media following the incident. It shows the white car following Moosewala’s black jeep in Jawaharke village. Occupants of the vehicle had first opened fire. Later, another group of assailants came in a Mahindra Bolero and joined them. The assailants fired indiscriminately at Moosewala, killing him on spot. Manpreet has nine cases lodged against him under the Arms Act, for kidnapping and murder in Faridkot, Ropar and Muktsar. So far, Delhi Police has reportedly attained custody of Lawrence Bishnoi, a fellow suspect in the murder. Lawrence was previously lodged at Tihar jail. Delhi Police has doubled his security after he apprehended being killed by the Punjab police in an encounter.
AAP Faces Flak for Moosewala’s Murder
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party faces heat over the declining law and order scenario in Punjab. They have appointed Ishwar Singh as the ADGP, Law & Order, Punjab after shifting Naresh Arora from the post. Opposition parties have criticized the AAP government in Punjab for withdrawing Moosewala’s security cover. The Congress party in Punjab, to which Moosewala belonged, have called for a dismissal of the AAP government over its security lapses. Moosewala’s family members have sought investigation by a central prove agency.
BJP too has been unsparing in its criticism of the AAP government in Punjab. The BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi slammed the Punjab government for “90 deaths in 40 days”. She said, This is very wrong. The government of these people is also in Delhi, but in Delhi the police and law and order are in the hands of the central government. Here( Punjab) 90 people have died within 40 days”.
So far, Punjab police has termed this case as one of inter-gang rivalry. They said that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was behind the murder. Meanwhile, the Canadian gangster Goldy Brar, also a member of the Bishnoi gang, has claimed responsibility for Moosewala’s killing. Punjab Police also said that the murder appeared to be in retaliation of Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera’s assassination last year. Moosewala’s manager Shaganpreet too had a role in Middukhera’s murder. However, he has escaped to Australia. He was nominated as an accused in Middukhera’s murder alongwith other four assailants who were arrested.
Moosewala got Cremated Yesterday
After his autopsy, Sidhu Moosewala’s body was given to his family members for cremation. His last rites were conducted 2 PM yesterday. Moosewala’s body was dressed as a groom as per the rituals of a deceased unmarried man in Punjab .He was laid in a tractor trailer and taken to the cremation ground in his favourite Hmt tractor. His parents were inconsolable as they sat beside Moosewala’s corpse at their home. Thousands of fans gathered to witness the cremation of their icon amidst tight security. A portait of the icon was placed on his favourite tractor as it served its owner for the last time.
(Inputs, Hindustan Times, Indian Express and NDTV)
