By PTI
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police’s Special Cell on Tuesday got three-day custody of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi after arresting him from Tihar in a case of Arms Act and will question him again in connection with the killing of famous Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, officials said.
On Monday also, a team of Special Cell had interrogated Bishnoi, who is facing nearly 60 cases, in Tihar.
Sangster Kala Jathedi and his aide Kala Rana, who were in police custody in a different case, were also questioned in connection with the killing of Moosewala.
According to officials, after questioning him in Tihar prisons where he was lodged in Central Jail no 8, Bishnoi was produced at the Patiala House court and was remanded in three days of police custody for questioning in connection with the case where three criminals were arrested after a brief encounter with the Special Cell’s unit last month.
During interrogation, the arrested criminals had disclosed that the weapons recovered from them were supplied by Bishnoi, a senior police official said.
Bishnoi faces charges under the Arms Act and other sections related to assault on a public servant in the case.
“Since Bishnoi has been taken into police custody, we will also be questioning him in connection with the killing of Moosewala in Punjab,” he added.
The development comes a day after a Delhi court refused to entertain a plea filed by Bishnoi seeking a direction to the jail authorities not to give his custody to Punjab police, which suspects that he had plotted the singer’s killing.
Bishnoi has moved the Delhi High Court which will hear on Wednesday his plea claiming apprehension of a fake encounter by the Punjab Police.
The plea has sought direction to the Tihar Jail authority and the Delhi Police to ensure necessary safeguards are taken for his safety before giving his custody to any other state police, including the Punjab Police.
The petition has been listed before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma for hearing on Wednesday.
Punjab Police had on Sunday said the killing of Moosewala seemed to be the result of an inter-gang rivalry and that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was involved in it.
“On Tuesday, gangster Bishnoi was questioned for a few hours by the Special cell unit and then was arrested in a different case. He was then taken to a Delhi Court to get his police custody,” a jail official said.
When contacted, Bishnoi’s advocate Vishal Chopra told PTI that “Lawrence Bishnoi has been taken into three days of police remand in a different case. It has nothing to do with the Moosewala killing case.”
Bishnoi has been taken into police custody in connection with an old case of firing and Arms Act wherein the arrested criminal cited that he had sourced the weapon from Bishnoi.
He would be next produced before the court on June 4, he added.
Moosewala was shot dead on Sunday by unidentified assailants in Punjab’s Mansa district, a day after the state government curtailed his security cover.
Moosewala’s cousin and a friend, who were travelling in a Mahindra Thar jeep with him, were also injured in the attack.
According to police, Bishnoi has been arrested in FIR NO.83/22 in which three prime sharpshooters of the dreaded Gogi Gang’ – Mukesh (32), Harvinder (29) and Shakti (22) – were involved in different incidents of firing on rival gang members, their family members, the house of Assistant Superintendent of TiharJail and killing prime eyewitness of a murder case.
Three sophisticated pistols and 11 live cartridges along with one motorcycle, were recovered from their possession, police said.
