The Punjab Police on Thursday said that jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has confessed that he had planned the killing of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, PTI reported.
Additional Director General of Police Pramod Ban said that plan to kill Moose Wala was being hatched since August.
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.
A Special Cell of the Delhi Police has arrested three persons, including two shooters, in connection with the case so far. They have been identified as Priyavrat alias Fauji, Kashish and Keshav Kumar.
Separately, the Punjab Police has arrested 13 persons. They have been held for offering logistical support, conducting recce and harbouring the singer’s killers.
On Thursday, the Punjab Police said that a group of different shooters was sent to kill Moose Wala in January but could not do so.
“This time recce was done thrice,” Ban said, adding that a receipt dated May 25 from a Fatehabad-based petrol pump was found in the vehicle that was used in the killing of Moose Wala, The Indian Express reported.
“From CCTV footage obtained from the Fatehabad petrol pump, we identified the accused Priyavrat Fauji,” said the additional director general of police. “We have arrested 13 people so far and the entire conspiracy has been unravelled.”
The police also said that apart from Bishnoi, his brother Anmol Bishnoi and his close associate Sachin Thapan were involved in planning the murder of Moosewala.
Ban said that Bishnoi had also planned a perfect alibi so that he and his associates were not linked to the murder.
“To execute this plan, he procured passports for his brother Anmol Bishnoi and Sachin Thapan on fake particulars and made them flee the country before the execution of this murder,” Ban said, according to The Indian Express. “He settled them abroad from where they could coordinate, facilitate and successfully execute this crime without being noticed or held culpable.”
Bishnoi had previously denied having any connection to the crime. He had claimed 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 June 14, the Punjab Police arrested Bishnoi and also received a transit remand to take him to the state. Until then, Bishnoi was in the custody of the Delhi Police in the national capital in an arms smuggling case.
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