The Punjab Police on Tuesday arrested gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in connection with the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, reported NDTV.
The police have also received a transit remand to take Bishnoi to Punjab, reported ANI. Bishnoi was s o far in custody of the Delhi Police in the national capital in an arms smuggling case.
The gangster was taken into custody shortly after Delhi’s Patiala House court gave the Punjab Police permission to arrest him, reported India Today. The court had asked the Punjab Police to submit the documents necessary for the arrest and said it would consider the application seeking transit remand after that.
Following his arrest, Bishnoi was produced again before the Patiala House Court, according to NDTV. The police had submitted two applications – one for his arrest and another for a transit remand.
The Delhi court had delivered the order on the arrest earlier in the day but the ruling on the transit remand came in the evening.
Bishnoi will now be produced before the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Punjab’s Mansa district on Wednesday.
Moose Wala, who fought the Punjab Assembly polls on a Congress ticket, was shot dead in Mansa on May 29. Two others were injured in the shooting.
On June 8, Delhi Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HS Dhaliwal had said that Bishnoi was the mastermind behind the murder.
Bishnoi, however, has denied that he is connected to the crime, claiming that only his gang members were involved and they had planned and executed the murder. He is reportedly associated with Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, who had claimed responsibility for the singer’s murder.
On Tuesday, the Punjab Police got Bishnoi’s transit remand after Punjab Advocate General Anmol Rattan Sidhu assured the court that the state will take “full responsibility” for the gangster’s security.
“There will be about 50 police personnel of Punjab Police, two bulletproof vehicles; 12 vehicles will run on the way which will clear the route,” he told the court. “All routes will be videographed.”
Earlier in the day, the Punjab Police had submitted that Bishnoi is a key conspirator in the Moose Wala murder case and that his custodial interrogation was necessary, reported ANI.
The police sought Bishnoi’s transit remand for one day, saying that he needs to be produced before the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Mansa.
Advocate Vishal Chopra, appearing for Bishnoi, opposed the plea, arguing that there was a security threat for his client.
“We have apprehension that the Lawrence Bishnoi may be killed in a fake encounter in Punjab,” Chopra claimed.
The advocate said that he will not oppose Bishnoi’s interrogation if it is done virtually. He submitted that the gangster can be arrested in the murder case but only in Delhi.
“We are just opposing physical transit remand of him [Lawrence Bishnoi] to Punjab,” Chopra added.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Police arrested two active members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, reported PTI. The police said the arrested men were working on directions of Brar.
Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police Vivek Sheel Soni said Gagandeep Singh alias Gaagi and Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi were arrested along with arms and ammunition while they were on their way to deliver a consignment of weapons.
Soni said they were in touch with Brar through gangster Manpreet Singh alias Manna, who has been accused of providing a car to the men who shot dead Moose Wala. Singh was arrested on May 31.
The arrested men have been booked under provisions of the Arms Act, the police said.
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