The Punjab Police have arrested five more persons including two shooters in connection with the high-profile murder case of International Kabaddi Player, taking the total to nine, said Senior Superintendent of Police, Jalandhar-Rural, Swapan Sharma, here on Sunday.
Those arrested have been identified as Harwinder Singh alias Fauji of Bulandshahr, UP; Vikas Malhe of Gurgaon, Haryana; Sachin Dhaulia of Alwar, Rajasthan; Manjot Kaur of Sangrur, and Yadwinder Singh of Pilibhit, UP. The police have also recovered seven pistols including five foreign made .30 bore pistols and two .315 country- made pistols and three vehicles including Mahindra XUV, Toyota Etios and Hyundai Verna from their possession.
Notably, a prominent Kabaddi player identified as Sandeep Singh alias Sandeep Nangal Ambia was shot dead by five unidentified assailants during an ongoing Kabaddi match in village Mallian in Jalandhar at around 6 pm on March 14, 2022.
The SSP said that Harwinder alias Fauji, who was nabbed from a village near Bulandshahr in UP was the main coordinator in this killing, who also provided logistics support including providing weapons to sharpshooters, getaway vehicles, safe houses, training in weapon handling, financial support and organizing recce for the execution of crime.
He said that another accused Vikas Malhe, who was nabbed from Faridabad, and the main shooter was tasked to identify and train the shooters, and later, he also accompanied Fauji to commit the target killing of Sandeep. During investigation, Vikas Malhe also revealed his role in two murder cases in Punjab, which were previously not known to the Police, he added.
Divulging more details, SSP Jalandhar Rural Swapan Sharma said that Sachin Dhaulia and Manjot Kaur were arrested for harbouring members of Kaushal-Daggar gang and providing them safe passage. In the last three weeks, police have identified and raided as many as 18 locations used as hide-outs by the members of this gang and nominated several persons in this case, he added.
The SSP said that fifth accused Yadwinder Singh, who is a close associate of Jujhar Singh, was working as a mediator between the gang members.
Meanwhile, On March 19, the Police had solved this murder case with the arrest of four main conspirators identified as Fateh Singh alias Yuvraj, a resident of Sangrur; Kaushal Chaudhary of Naharpur Roopa in Gurugram Haryana; Amit Dagar of village Maheshpur Palvan in Haryana; Simranjeet Singh alias Jujhar Singh alias gangster of village Madhopur Pilibhit, UP, all the four accused persons, who are history-sheeters and facing over 20 criminal cases mostly of murder and attempt to murder, were brought on production warrant from different jails.
*BOX: PROFILES OF SHOOTERS*
- Harwinder Singh alias Fauji, a main coordinator of Kaushal-Dagger gang, which is active in Delhi, Haryana and Western UP, was retired in February this year from 6 Jat Battalion after putting 18 years in armed service. He is history sheeter and facing at least 21 criminal cases pertaining to murder, armed dacoity and extortion in various districts of Western UP and Haryana. He was a proclaimed offender in several cases registered against him.
- Vikas Malhe, who has nine criminal cases pertaining to murder and extortion registered against him in Haryana during investigation confessed his role in two murder cases in Punjab, which were previously not known to the Police. In June, 2021, Sukhmeet Singh deputy, a transporter, was shot dead in Jalandhar city by unidentified persons. It has now come to light that Vikas along with others executed this killing.
In January 2022, two persons namely Manpreet Challa and Manpreet Vicki, both associates of a slain gangster Kulvir Naruana, were shot dead in Bathinda by unidentified persons. The questioning of Vikas revealed that these two killings were also organized and executed by him to avenge the arrest of Fateh Nagri, another jailed gangster of Sangrur. Manpreet Challa had allegedly informed the police about the role of Fateh Nagri in Kulvir Naruana murder case.