Moose Wala murder: SIT files fourth chargesheet

The Punjab Police special investigation team (SIT) has filed a fourth chargesheet in singer-turned-politician Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder case against gangster Sachin Thapan alias Sachin Bishnoi, one of the key conspirators in the killing, who is in the custody of Delhi special cell.

Moose Wala was shot dead by six assailants at Jawahar Ke village in Mansa district on May 29, 2022.

The SIT filed a third supplementary chargesheet in Moose Wala murder case in the court of chief judicial magistrate, Mansa, under Sections 302, 307, 341, 326, 148, 149, 427, 120-B, 109, 473, 212 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code, and various sections of the Arms Act and Prisons Act on December 27.

Chief judicial magistrate Surabhi Prashar had issued production warrants against Sachin for January 10 after authorities failed to produce him on December 28. It has been learnt that Sachin is in the custody of Delhi special cell.

Sachin, who is also the nephew of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, had fled to Azerbaijan using a forged passport in 2022. He was detained by the authorities there. After fighting a legal battle in Azerbaijan to avoid extradition to India, he was sent back in August last year. Initially, he was in the custody of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a case related to terror-gangster network.

Two months after he was extradited to India from Baku in Azerbaijan, Mansa police brought him on transit remand from Delhi on September 29. He was interrogated the Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and SIT members for two weeks.

Sachin conspired to kill Moose Wala

Sachin is one of the four gangsters who allegedly hatched the conspiracy to murder Moose Wala. In a bid to mislead the police after the murder, he told a news channel that he had shot and killed Moose Wala ‘with his own hands’ as an act of revenge. It is, however, learnt that he had fled the country before the murder.

Sachin left India via Dubai just before Moose Wala’s murder on a fake passport. “He fled to Dubai on a fake passport issued in the name of Tilak Raj Tuteja, a resident of Sangam Vihar in southeast Delhi. Later, he took a flight to Baku, where he was detained,” an SIT member said.

The SIT official said Sachin managed the logistics for Moose Wala’s murder and then left India. “Sachin had arranged the Bolero car that had tailed Moose Wala’s vehicle before he was killed and he was in constant touch with gangster Goldy Brar,” the official added.

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

Of the total 34 accused, the police had arrested 29. Two of them, Mandeep Singh and Manmohan Singh, were killed during a clash in Goindwal jail in February. Three accused, including Goldy Brar, Anmol Bishnoi and Lipin Nehra are absconding and are believed to be abroad. Two shooters, Manpreet Singh Mannu and Jagroop Singh Roopa, were killed in a police encounter at Amritsar before filing of chargesheets.