Sidhu Moosewala killing: Fuel slip helps cops identify four shooters

Chandigarh, June 16

A fuel receipt found in one of the vehicles used in the Sidhu Moosewala killing led the police to identify four of the shooters involved in the crime. This is the only breakthrough the Punjab Police have claimed so far, after nearly two days of intense questioning of prime accused gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

Neither have the police been able to arrest the identified shooters nor have they officially claimed to have unravelled the conspiracy behind the killing. Two of the four shooters identified are already on the list of eight accused recognised by the Delhi Police.

A Punjab Police spokesperson said the four shooters were Priyawarat and Ankit, both of Sonepat; Manu Kusa of Moga; and Jagroop Singh, alias Roopa, of Amritsar. Of these, photos of Priyawarat and Jagroop were already circulated in the social media quoting Delhi Police.

The spokesperson said in all 10 persons had been arrested so far with raids on to nab the four shooters. Interestingly, the police release came on a day when CM Bhagwant Mann hit the road for the first time in Sangrur for the Lok Sabha bypoll. Opposition parties have made Moosewala’s killing and the police failure to arrest the shooters as one of the main election issues.

Police sources said avenging youth Akali leader Vicky Middukhera’s murder in August 2021 seemed to be the motive for the singer’s killing. Bishnoi gang was reportedly upset with Moosewala, who directly or indirectly had proximity to Vicky’s killers, they said.

The spokesperson said one of the important leads was the recovery of a fuel receipt (dated May 25, 2022) of a Fatehabad-based fuel station from the Bolero car used in the crime and later found abandoned near Khayala village, 13 km from the crime scene.

“The police teams procured CCTV footage and managed to identify one of the suspects, possibly a shooter, as Priyawarat of Sonepat.”

The police have recovered all vehicles, including Bolero, Corolla and Alto, used in the crime. Apart from arresting Bishnoi, who was brought on production warrant from the Tihar Jail in Delhi, the nine other arrested accused persons have been 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 Sonepat, Haryana; Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb, both residents of Fatehabad, Haryana.

Manpreet Bhau revealed during interrogation he had delivered the car to two suspected shooters — Manu Kusa and Jagroop Singh — on the directions of Manpreet Manna. He also revealed the shooters were provided by Saraj Mintu, a close aide of Canada-based Goldy Brar and Sachin Thapan and is believed to be part of the group of shooters.

Two already on Delhi Police list

• Shooters have been identified as Priyawarat & Ankit of Sonepat; Manu Kusa of Moga; and Jagroop Singh, alias Roopa, of Amritsar
• Priyawarat & Jagroop were already on the list of eight accused identified by the Delhi Police earlier

CCTV footage came in handy

The police used CCTV footage to identify suspect Priyawarat. The footage of the route taken by Bolero before and after refuelling at a Fatehabad fuel station was also collected by the cops. — Police spokesperson