Authorities arrested Manpreet Singh, a native of Faridkot, from Dehradun for allegedly providing the two cars to the assailants in the murder of Punjabi singer-politician Sidhu Moose Wala
Sidhu Moose Wala, was shot dead around 6 pm Sunday evening, a day after his security was partially withdrawn by the Punjab government. Image Courtesy: @sidhu_moosewala/Instagram
The Punjab Police made its first arrest in the murder of singer-politician Sidhu Moose Wala just hours after he was cremated at a funeral where his family and a sea of supporters wept for their loss.
The authorities arrested one accused — Manpreet Singh — from Dehradun on Tuesday evening. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed under the supervision of the Mansa Superintendent of Police (SSP) has even recovered the cars that were used in the crime — Moose Wala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jawahar Ke village in Mansa district of Punjab on Sunday.
According to an ANI news report, Sidhu Moose Wala was hit by 25 bullets.
Video footage of his car showed it was sprayed with bullets, with a number of them piercing the windscreen and the bonnet.
A preliminary post-mortem, done by a team of five doctors, found bullet marks on Moose Wala’s chest, feet and abdomen. They also found the presence of gunpowder on the singer’s body, indicating that he was fired upon from very close range and the weapon was brought close to his body.
Three days on, here’s what we know of the murder and how the investigations are unfolding.
First arrest
On Tuesday evening, the Punjab Police arrested Manpreet Singh, a native of Faridkot, and he has been sent to five days of police remand.
News18 has reported that Manpreet, also known as Manna Dhaipei, had provided logistic support to the attackers in the murder case as he provided both the cars — Corolla and Bolero — used by the assailants in the crime.
However, Manpreet, as per the police probe, was not one of the attackers. The police now hope that through his questioning will be able to gather more information on the attackers.
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As per police investigations, Manpreet has a history of links with gangsters though he hasn’t been booked in any heinous crime.
His village Dhapai is close to Jawahar Ke where Moose Wala was shot.
On Monday, a team of the Delhi Police also went to Tihar and questioned jailed gangsters Bishnoi and his aide Md Shahrukh in connection with Moose Wala’s murder. This was after a social media post from Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, an associate of Bishnoi, claiming responsibility for the murder. Police are probing allegations that Bishnoi planned the murder from inside the jail with Brar’s help using internet calls.
Following his questioning, the authorities got three-day custody of Lawrence Bishnoi.
Cars recovered
The SIT has also been able to seize the two SUVs involved in Moose Wala’s murder. Additionally, fake car number plates used to carry out the attack have also been recovered.
The ongoing probe into the murder had revealed on Monday that the rapper’s SUV was being allegedly followed by men in two cars.
In video footage shared by news agency ANI, two cars seem to be chasing the singer-politician’s SUV in the Mansa district soon after he had left home.
The clip shows two trailing white cars — an SUV and a Sedan — driving in a rush, making a sharp turn at the cut, giving the impression that the accused were trying ‘not to lose sight’ of the singer’s SUV.
High Court steps in
The Punjab and Haryana High Court asked the Aam Aadmi Party-led government to explain the basis on which it had recently withdrawn or pruned the security of the protectees. In all, nearly 400 protectees stand affected.
“Court has issued notice to Punjab government asking for a detailed report on the number of people whose security was taken and reason for which their security was curtailed. Reply has to be filed by Punjab government on 2 Jun,” Satya Pal Jain, Additional Solicitor General of India told news agency ANI.
He added, “It is the prerogative of the state to increase or decrease security, but it is a sensitive matter. When you decrease security, it should not come into public space.”
The AAP government has come under heavy fire from the Opposition for withdrawing the security of Moose Wala. The Congress has called for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to step down. Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said Moose Wala’s death was a “political murder conceived and executed under a proper conspiracy.”
Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also said the incident was the perfect example of the breakdown of law and order in the state.
With inputs from agencies
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