New Delhi: The Delhi Police has named gangster Lawrence Bishnoi as the “mastermind” in the singer Sidhu Moosewala’s murder case.
On Wednesday, June 8, the Delhi Police, in a joint operation with its Pune counterparts, arrested one Siddhesh Hiraman Kamble, who, the investigators said, was one of the main associates of the assailants who killed Moosewala, according to Indian Express.
This is the first arrest in Moosewala’s murder case.
“Lawrence Bishnoi is the mastermind behind the killing… Maharashtra Police has been given one Siddhesh Hiraman Kamble alias Mahakaal’s 14-day police custody remand. He is a close associate of one of the shooters, but he’s not involved in the killing,” Hindustan Times quoted H.G.S. Dhaliwal, Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), Delhi Police, as saying.
The Delhi Police official also said five more suspects were identified in connection with the murder case.
The Pune Police who arrested Kamble, alias Mahakal, said he was arrested in connection with the killing of Moosewala.
Kamble, against whom stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was invoked, was wanted by the Pune (rural) police for allegedly harbouring a murder case accused, Santosh Jadhav, also a suspect in the Moosewala murder case.
“We have arrested Kamble against whom stringent MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) was invoked for allegedly harbouring Jadhav in the 2021 murder case of one Omkar Bankhele. A case to that effect was registered with Manchar police station in Pune district,” said Abhinav Deshmukh, Superintendent of Police, (Pune rural).
When asked whether Kamble had any role in the Moosewala murder case, he said police arrested him in a case registered at Manchar police station.
“But we will be informing about his arrest to the concern investigation agencies to check his role,” he added.
In the immediate aftermath of Moosewala’s murder, on May 29, Punjab Police had named Bishnoi and Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar for the singer’s killing.
As for Bishnoi, the Delhi Police arrested Lawrence Bishnoi from jail number 8 of Tihar on May 31 in a case of arms smuggling. He has been lodged in Tihar for the past year after the Delhi Police booked him under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA Act).
The gangster is also came under the scanner after a letter emerged on Tuesday, June 7, threatening Bollywood actor Salman Khan and his father Salim Khan. The said letter, apparently found on a bench in Mumbai’s Bandstand Promenade where Khan usually sits after his morning walk, reportedly said, “Moosewala jaisa kar doonga (You will suffer the same fate as Moosewala).”
Moosewala was shot dead by some unidentified attackers in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29, exactly a day after his security cover was trimmed by the Punjab government. He had sustained 19 bullet wounds and died within 15 minutes of being shot, according to police.
(With PTI inputs)