The Punjab police on Monday said they have rounded up a few people in connection with the killing of Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, known as Sidhu Moosewala for questioning and vital leads have been collected.
Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead at Punjab’s Jahawarke village in Mansa district on Sunday, a day after his security cover was trimmed, putting the two-and-a-half-month-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on the back-foot over the breakdown of law-and-order situation in the State as the Opposition parties launched an offensive against the AAP.
Inspector-General of Police (Faridkot Range) Pradeep Yadav told reporters that an investigation was underway and a few people have been rounded up for questioning. “We have vital leads and we are working on that,” he said. Mr. Yadav said it apparently looks like gangsters were behind the incident.
The Police sources said that CCTV footages were being extensively analysed to find out about the suspects involved. Besides, forensic experts are being roped in to further develop on clues regarding the case. Also, raids are being conducted across the state and outside, and possible suspects are being rounded up. According to Punjab police, the ‘Lawrence Bishnoi gang was behind the murder of Moosewala. The Lawrance Bishnoi gang has claimed the responsibility for the killing through its Canada-based operative.
Sources in the Delhi Police’s Special Cell said that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his associates are being interrogated in connection with the case as they are said to have hatched the plan from inside the Tihar jail.
A senior police officer said that Bishnoi, lodged in Tihar’s jail number 8, was in touch with several of his associates in planning Moosewala’s assassination. The officer said: “The gangsters, all Bishnoi’s associates, are suspected to have planned the murder. They used to talk to Goldy (Brar), who further used to communicate with other gang members outside the jail”. The officer said that Brar used to make calls from Canada and as of now police are trying to trace his exact location.
The Police officer added that a preliminary probe has revealed that Bishnoi had taken his associate Kala Jathedi’s or his other associate’s help to communicate with Brar in Canada. Jathedi, who had earlier been arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with several cases of murder and extortion, is currently in police custody and will be interrogated about the singer’s murder.
The Punjab government meanwhile announced to set up a judicial commission under the chairmanship of a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for probing the murder case.
Targeting the AAP government over its alleged failure to maintain law and order in the State, a delegation of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) met Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, demanding that a police case should be registered against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for violating the oath of office by releasing confidential information about the withdrawal of the security cover of Mr. Moosewala as well as other prominent personalities on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) portal.
“The Chief Minister does not deserve to stay in office for even one minute more”, said SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal as he demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the killing of Moosewala. Mr. Badal said SAD has also requested the Governor to direct the government to order a judicial probe into the lapses committed in ordering the withdrawal of security cover of prominent personalities.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that there was a sense of fear across the state and demanded the dismissal of the AAP government. He said the Chief Minister had not just proved to be a failure, but a complete disaster pushing the state to virtual anarchy. “I have been receiving phone calls and messages from across the state with people telling me that they did not fear for their lives during the militancy the way they have started dreading for their lives now”, he said.
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said “It has been a complete collapse of the AAP government's intelligence and security network that has been reflected in more than two dozen murder incidents involving public figures in the State since the AAP has come to power.”
