Bishnoi Named Main Accused in Sidhu Moose Wala's Killing, Cops Identify 4 Shooters from Fuel Receipt

In a major breakthrough on Thursday, a fuel receipt helped Punjab Police identify four shooters involved in the Sidhu Moose Wala murder. The special investigation team probing the case also named gangster Lawrence Bishnoi the main accused.

Bishnoi is being questioned at length at the Crime Investigation Agency office in Kharar, sources said. He was brought under heavy security from Delhi in the early hours of Wednesday.

Punjab Police claimed to have established the identities of four shooters involved in the murder but none have been arrested yet. Giving exclusive access to News18, the SIT said Bishnoi had been grilled by different investigators.

It said the cousin of Goldy Brar, Bishnoi’s close aide, had also been brought in and then taken away a few hours after interrogation.

The SIT said Bishnoi had so far been evasive and uncooperative. He also complained that he was unwell and was examined by a team of doctors. The doctors, however, pronounced him fit.

The SIT further said no force had been used in Bishnoi’s interrogation but investigators were now looking at other tactics to probe him if he remained evasive.

Police sources, meanwhile, said the four shooters identified were Priyawarat and his associate Ankit, both from Sonipat; Manu Kusa of Moga; and Jagroop Roopa of Amritsar.

An official said a small clue found in the vehicle used in the crime followed by technical inputs helped Punjab Police to unveil the trail of events that took place before the murder. So far, 10 people have been arrested, including Bishnoi.

Officials said one of the important leads was the recovery of a fuel receipt dated May 25, 2022 from Fatehabad-based petrol pump inside the Bolero car used by the assailants. It was later found abandoned near Khayala village, about 13 km from the crime scene.

The ADGP of the anti-gangster task force (AGTF) said a police team was immediately dispatched to the fuel pump station in Fatehabad to gather CCTV footage of that day. “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 diesel at the fuel pump,” he said, adding that the owner of the Bolero was traced with the help of engine and chassis numbers.

Police said they had recovered all the vehicles, including Mahindra Bolero, Toyota Corolla and a white Alto, used in the crime. The assailants in the Toyota Corolla had stopped and snatched the Alto at gunpoint, leaving behind the Corolla that was damaged during the incident, they added.

Police further said the gangsters escaped towards Khara Barnala village followed by the white Bolero. The Alto was also found abandoned on May 30 near Dharamkot in Moga district and the route taken by the accused was identified from CCTV footage, they added.

Apart from Bishnoi, the other nine arrested are 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.

They have all been booked under sections pertaining to conspiracy, providing logistical support, conducting recce and harbouring shooters.

The ADGP said the registration number of the Corolla was found to be genuine and the owner had been 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 was lodged in Ferozepur Jail.

Manpreet Bhau, who was arrested from Chamoli in Uttarakhand on May 30 on suspicion of using the Corolla told police that he had delivered the car to two suspected shooters, identified as Manu Kusa of Moga and Jagroop Singh alias Roopa of Amritsar on directions of Manpreet Manna. He also said 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 told police that he provided shelter to two associates of Goldy Brar, who had come and stayed with him and he helped them to conduct recce of Moose Wala’s house. He had also visited the house and interacted with the security and checked the cameras.

Following reliable inputs, Monu Dagar, a close associate of Goldy Brar and Bishnoi was brought on a production warrant. During interrogation, he said he had arranged for two shooters, identified as Priyawarat and Ankit, on directions from Goldy Brar.

He also told police that Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb had procured the Bolero from Sadul Shaher and further handed it over to the shooters through a person identified as Keshav of Bathinda.

Sandeep Kekda, who was arrested on June 6, told police that his brother Bittu of Kalianwali along with Nikku Takhat Mal had been tracking Moose Wala’s movements. He said on May 29, Bittu had tasked him to accompany Nikku on his motorcycle to visit Moose Wala’s house posing as fans.

He said they took selfies with the singer on Nikku’s mobile phone and later made a video call to Sachin Thapan to inform him that Moose Wala had left his house without security and was sitting on the driver?s seat in a black Thar.

The investigation, so far, shows that the accused were acting on the directions of Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, Sachin Thapan, Anmol Bishnoi and Vikram Brar (now in Dubai).

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