Delhi Police on Monday said it had arrested three persons, including one Priyavrat alias Fauji, who was the main shooter and executioner of the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. Addressing a press conference, Delhi Police special CP HS Dhaliwal said grenades and electric detonators were also recovered from the trio, PTI reported.
Besides Priyavrat (26), a resident of Sonipat in Haryana, the other two arrested are Kashish (24), who is from Jhajjar district, and Keshav Kumar (29), a resident of Bhatinda in Punjab. The trio were arrested on June 19 from Kutch in Gujarat, PTI quoted Dhaliwal as saying.
The special CP said the accused had conducted multiple recces before executing the murder. He said the shooters also purchased uniforms of Punjab Police during the incident, but could not use them due to the lack of name plates.
"Eight grenades, nine electric detonators, three pistols and one assault rifle have been recovered from arrested accused," Dhaliwal said at the media briefing.
Sidhu Moose Wala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Punjab's Mansa district on May 29. The incident took place just a day after the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government had trimmed his security cover.
Hours after the incident, Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar claimed responsibility for the murder in a Facebook post. Goldy Brar is a close aide of gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, who is presently in Punjab Police custody.
The police said Priyavrat led a team of shooters and was in direct touch with Goldy Brar on the day of the murder. "He is the main shooter and executioner of the murder," police said.
Dhaliwal said two modules were involved in the murder of Moose Wala. "One of the cars, a Bolero, was driven by Priyavrat while another car -- a Corolla -- was driven by shooters. The Corolla overtook Moose Wala's car and six shooters came out of both the vehicles and opened fire at the singer," he said.
Priyavrat was identified in a CCTV footage of a petrol pump prior to the incident. "He was previously involved in two murder cases and was arrested in 2015 in one of the cases in Sonipat and also wanted in another murder case in Sonipat in 2021," police said.
Kashish is wanted in a 2021 murder case in Haryana's Jhajjar. Keshav Kumar was the facilitator and received the shooters just after the shootout in an Alto car. He accompanied the shooters till Mansa on the day of incident, police said.
(With inputs from agencies)