Sidhu Moosewala killing: Punjab Police nabs 1 more suspect from Haryana, 8 sharpshooters identified

Bathinda: The Punjab Police has arrested one more person from Haryana in connection with the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, even as sources said eight sharp shooters have also been identified. 

Davinder alias Kala was nabbed on Sunday evening from Fatehabad, taking the number of people held in the case from Haryana so far to three, police said on Monday. Two suspects involved in the killing had allegedly stayed with Davinder, police sources said.

On June 3, two other suspects were nabbed by the Punjab Police from Fatehabad and their roles in the Moosewala's murder were being probed. Meanwhile, eight sharp shooters are learnt to have been identified by the police in connection with the case and they hail from different states, including Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra, the sources said.

Besides, police have also rounded up some people and got several important leads in connection with the murder, they said. As many as 15 teams have been constituted by the police to arrest the culprits involved in the killing. Two days after the killing of Moosewala in Mansa district, the Punjab Police had on May 31 made the first arrest in this case. Manpreet Singh, who was arrested from Uttarakhand, was accused of providing logistic support to the assailants.

Meanwhile, politicians cutting across parties continued to reach Moosewala's native village in Mansa to meet the singer's family to express their condolences. "There cannot be bigger pain than a father having to see his young son dying like this. Everyone wants justice in this incident," senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot, who met the family on Monday, said.

While interacting with reporters, he expressed concern over the alleged deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab. "Every day there is one incident or the other. Drug mafia, gangsters and terror elements are spreading their tentacles," the Congress leader from Rajasthan said.

Referring to Moosewala's killing, he said the state and Central governments should go to the bottom of this incident and exemplary punishment should be given to those involved in the gruesome killing. He said Moosewala was a popular singer and a Congress leader.

Pilot said that people of Punjab have seen dark days of militancy and at no cost will anyone want that such period comes back again. On May 29, Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab's Mansa district, a day after the state government curtailed his security cover. His cousin and a friend, who were travelling in a jeep with him, were also injured in the attack.

Moosewala was among the 424 people whose security was withdrawn or curtailed by the Punjab Police on a temporary basis.

The state police had termed the incident a case of an inter-gang rivalry and said the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was behind the killing. Canada-based Goldy Brar, who is a member of the gang, had claimed the responsibility for the murder. 

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