Moose Wala Murder: Despite CJM directions, only 14 accused presented in Mansa court
Magistrate had directed superintendents of jails to produce all accused, including Bishnoi, either physically or virtually on June 28
Despite court direction to present all accused either physically or through video-conferencing, only 14 of the total 25 accused lodged in jails were presented in a Mansa court in Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder case on Wednesday.
However, 11 accused, including gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is lodged in Bathinda jail, and Jaggu Bhagwanipuria, were not produced.
Since the filing of the chargesheet in the case, of 28 hearings, Bishnoi has been produced in the court only once through video-conferencing.
Moose Wala was shot dead by six assailants at Jawahar Ke village in Punjab’s Mansa on May 29 last year. Three shooters — Kashish, Ankit Sersa and Deepak Mundi — who killed Moose Wala and 11 co-accused Pawan Nehra, Deepak Mundi, Nasib Din, Manpreet Singh Bhau, Kashish, Sandeep Kekra, Bittu Singh, Monu Dagar, Jagtar Singh, Prabhdeep Singh Pabbi, Ankit Sersa, Keshav, Charanjit Singh and Arshad Khan, who are lodged in separate jails across the state were presented via video-conferencing.
Mansa CJM Surabhi Prashar, in an order dated June 14, said superintendents of jails are directed to produce these accused either physically or through virtual mode on June 28. Mansa senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nanak Singh said as the CJM was on leave, the hearing was adjourned to July 12.
The matter was listed in the court of judicial magistrate Harpreet Singh, who has issued fresh summons to present all accused on July 12.
More than nine months have passed since the Punjab Police filed a chargesheet in the Moose Wala murder case, but the court is yet to frame charges against the accused as producing all of them at the same time through video-conferencing or physically has proved to be a challenge for the authorities.
The police special investigation team (SIT) probing Moose Wala murder has filed two chargesheets against 31 accused, including gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. Of the total, the police arrested 27 but two of them Mandeep Singh and Manmohan Singh were killed during a clash in Goindwal jail. Four accused, including Goldy Brar, are absconding and are believed to be abroad. There are 25 accused lodged in jails.
“DAY 395 AFTER SIDHU: Gangsters like Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar openly give interviews to the media, give threats and challenge the government. It can mean only two things @BhagwantMann - Either your govt itself is not willing to nab them or the govt is weak,” said Moose Wala’s father Balkaur Singh in a tweet on Wednesday.
Police custody of Bishnoi’s aide who sheltered shooters extended
A Mansa court on Wednesday extended the police custody of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s aide, who is accused of harbouring Haryana module shooters who killed Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, by five days.
The Mansa police produced Joginder (33), alias Joga, in a court on Wednesday after his two-day police remand ended. Joga hails from Bhiwani of Haryana and has more than 15 cases registered against him, including that of robbery, dacoity, attempt to murder and extortion.
The police on Sunday brought him on production warrant from Gurugram jail to Mansa. Joga, who was absconding since March 2022, was arrested on June 1 by Haryana Police.
Police sources said Joga had provided shelter to four Haryana shooters — Priyavrat Fauji, Kashish, Ankit Sersa and Deepak Mundi — after the murder of Moose Wala in Uklana Mandi in Hisar of Haryana.
