Moose Wala murder case: SIT opposes discharge pleas of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, 2 others

The special investigation team (SIT) probing Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder has submitted its reply in the trial court opposing the applications moved by three accused, including gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, seeking discharge from the case, claiming that they were “not involved” in the killing of the singer.

In the court of Mansa additional sessions judge, the public prosecutor for the state filed separate replies to the applications from Lawrence Bishnoi, Jagtar Singh and Charanjit Singh alias Chetan. However, no reply was filed on the discharge application filed by gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria.

“In the interest of justice, one last opportunity is granted to the prosecution to file a reply to the application for discharge of accused Jagdeep Singh alias Jaggu Bhagwanpuria on April 9, the next date of hearing,” ordered the sessions court on Friday.

Meanwhile, jail authorities on Friday failed to produce accused Sachin Thapan alias Sachin Bishnoi, Sachin Bhiwani, Deepak Mundi and Kapil Pandit in the court following which production warrants were issued for April 9.

As per information, the sessions court has been hearing the matter on short dates, in line with the Punjab and Haryana high court’s directions to the district court to expedite the framing charges against the accused in the Moose Wala murder case. Moose Wala was shot dead by six assailants at Jawahar Ke village in Mansa on May 29 last year.

On December 12 last year, Bishnoi and Bhagwanpuria had moved the Mansa trial court seeking discharge in the murder case. However, both the gangsters had claimed responsibility for killing of the Punjabi singer on social media. In January, Jagtar and Chetan had also moved similar applications in the court.

Earlier this year, Bishnoi, in two interviews given to a news channel from inside the jail, had claimed responsibility for Moose Wala’s murder.

Bishnoi and Bhagwanpuria have now claimed in their applications that they were not involved in the murder. “They were lodged in jail at the time of the murder and have no involvement in the crime,” they added.

The SIT probing Moose Wala’s murder has filed four chargesheets against 34 accused individuals, including gangsters Bishnoi, Goldy Brar and Bhagwanpuria, claiming the murder was part of a series of revenge killings between the Bishnoi and Bambiha gangs.

The Mansa police last month filed a fourth supplementary chargesheet against key conspirator Sachin Thapan alias Sachin Bishnoi, who was extradited from Azerbaijan.