2 accused shot in fierce 5-hour gun-battle in Attari: Police
More than a month after Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead by a “gang” following alleged support of his manager to the killers of a youth Akali leader, the Punjab Police on Wednesday gunned down two “shooters” said to be involved in the Punjabi singer’s murder after a fierce five-hour gun-battle in a village in Amritsar’s Attari — just about 10 kilometre from Indo-Pak border.
With this, the main accused in the globally-renowned Punjabi singer-rapper and Congress leader Moosewala’s murder case have either been arrested or killed.
The killed gangsters were identified as Jagroop Singh, alias Roopa, and Manpreet Singh, alias Manu Kusa — two of the total six “shooters” who had gunned down Moosewala on May 29 in Mansa. The two had been evading the police since then, and are reported to have been changing hideouts within Punjab only.
It has been found during the police investigation that Roopa and Manu, by the end of June, were hiding in a village in Tarn Taran — Roopa’s native place. It has been learnt that another gangster had provided them with a hideout in his farm house.
Police had identified six shooters who were part of the two modules allegedly involved in Moosewala’s killing. The Delhi Police’s Special Cell had earlier nabbed three shooters — Priyavrat Fauji, Kuldeep, alias Kashish, and Ankit Sersa. Roopa and Manu were part of the second module, the police said. One more shooter Deepak Mundi, part of the first module, is absconding.
As per the preliminary investigations and interrogation of those arrested, it is believed that Manu was the first one to fire at Moosewala with an AK-47 rifle. Manu and Roopa were in a Corolla car that was trailing Moosewala’s Thar at Jawahar Ke village. After committing the crime, the duo abandoned the Corolla car, and snatched another car (Alto) which was later found abandoned in Moga district.
Other than the main “shooters”, the police have also made 18 arrests in the matter, including the persons providing logistic support to the attackers, and those who conspired.
In the encounter that broke out in the afternoon and lasted till 4 pm, three police officials and a journalist sustained injuries. The police have recovered one AK-47, a pistol, and a bag - which would be opened in the presence of the forensic team.
“Heavy exchange of fire took place today, two gangsters involved in Moosewala case - Jagroop Singh Roopa and Manpreet Singh - were killed. We have recovered an AK47 and a pistol. A bag has also been recovered but it will be examined by a forensic team,” Punjab ADGP and Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) head Promod Ban informed the media after the encounter.
Ban said the AGTF team tried to surround the gangsters at a building with the help of the local police, and “they died in the exchange of fire”.
“It is a matter of investigation that from where they procured the AK-47, and it would also be forensically examined whether this weapon was used in the Moosewala’s killing,” he added.
During the encounter, three of the policemen were injured in the encounter, “and they are out of danger”, he added.
Ban said Roopa and Manu were hiding at a building in Bhakna village near the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar. They were absconding after Moosewala’s killing.
“We have been keeping a track of the accused in Moosewala murder case...Our Task Force noticed some movement in this area, and we acted upon it. Our forensic team is at the spot for further investigation,” said ADGP Ban.
Ban said the police team had repeatedly asked the two gangsters to surrender but they started firing, in which three policemen were also injured.
The encounter lasted for about four and a half hours.
Ban said it is a message to all the gangsters that Punjab Police will never tolerate gangsterism in the State.
At the same time, Ban added that every policeman and officer involved in this encounter will be honoured.
Eyewitnesses to the encounter said the gangsters arrived at the abandoned building in a Thar vehicle, and the police were chasing them. When they entered the abandoned house, the police surrounded them.
A police official maintained that they had such modern weapons that they did not let the police come near for four hours and continued firing.
Sources maintained that the police had earlier planned to nab the two a day before. However, things didn’t work out. On Wednesday, the police surrounded the gangsters at around 11 am. There was heavy exchange of fire from both sides during the first two hours, with the gangster-duo firing on the police team with AK-47 and other weapons.
It has been learnt that they were having the same weapons used in Moosewala’s murder.
For the encounter, members of the Anti-Gangster Task Force, Special Operation Cell, Organized Crime Control Unit were involved. Apart from this, Punjab police’s best shooters and quick reaction team were also present on the spot.
During the encounter, the police had sealed an area of about two-kilometres around the building where gangsters were hiding. The locals, civilians were also asked to stay indoors.