Punjab Police quiz Bishnoi after getting his seven-day custody

A court in Mansa district early on Wednesday morning granted seven-day police remand of Lawrence Bishnoi to the Punjab Police to probe the murder of singer-politician Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, aka Sidhu Moose Wala, soon after the gangster was brought from New Delhi on transit remand.

The police have identified him as the “main conspirator”, who had ordered the hit on the singer from behind the bars at Delhi’s Tihar Jail.

Amid tight security, Bishnoi was brought to Mansa district — where Moose Wala was shot dead on May 29 —around 4am. He was presented before the duty magistrate after his medical check-up at the district civil hospital.

The special investigation team (SIT) probing Moose Wala’s murder submitted in the court that Bishnoi is the main conspirator in the case and his custodial interrogation is required for effective investigation into the murder.

The chief judicial magistrate at Mansa had issued an arrest warrant against Bishnoi on Monday in the singer’s murder case. A Delhi court on Tuesday had allowed the Punjab Police to take the gangster to the state for questioning on transit remand, while ensuring tight security after Bishnoi’s counsel raised concerns about a fake encounter.

Soon after securing Bishnoi’s remand, the SIT had filed a compliance report before the duty magistrate in Patiala House court as instructed by the court while granting transit remand.

SIT cross-interrogates Dagar, Bishnoi

After securing his remand, the Punjab Police shifted Bishnoi to the crime investigation agency (CIA) police station at Kharar in Mohali district. Heavy security arrangements have also been made in Kharar town.

According to sources, police had brought another jailed gangster, Monu Dagar, who had allegedly provided two shooters for Moose Wala’s killing, to Mohali on Tuesday evening. The SIT cross-interrogated Bishnoi and Dagar, it is learnt. A senior SIT official said Bishnoi was questioned for hours, but he has not been cooperating in the investigation, and is calling himself “innocent”.

Meanwhile, Dagar was sent back to Mansa later in the day, where he was presented before court along with two other accused — Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb Khan — after their four-day police remand ended. The SIT had demanded further remand of Dagar, Pawan and Naseeb, claiming that their cross interrogation with Bishnoi is required to ascertain some facts and to identify other co-accused in the case. “The arrested accused are closely associated with Bishnoi and his associates,” police told the court.

The court granted seven-day police remand of the trio to the SIT. Pawan and Naseeb are accused of providing the white Bolero car used by the shooters. Apart from Bishnoi, the Punjab Police have so far arrested nine suspects, including three jailed gangsters. They either provided logistics support to the shooters or conducted recce ahead of the attack, according to the SIT. A couple of suspects have also been arrested by the Pune police, and have been quizzed by a team of cops from Punjab.