Goldy Brar, the Canada-based gangster alleged to be the mastermind behind the murder of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, has been detained in the United States, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann confirmed on Friday. News18 had earlier reported that Brar was on the radar of the FBI in California.
“Today we got the confirmed news that a gangster who sits in Canada has been detained in America,” Mann said. Authorities in California are yet to issue any official statement but sources said India’s National Investigation Agency would begin the process to seek Brar’s deportation.
Who is Goldy Brar?
Goldy Brar was born Satinderjeet Singh in Sri Muktsar Sahib in Punjab. Brar went to Canada on a student visa in 2017 and eventually became an active member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, even becoming Bishnoi’s close associate.
According to a chargesheet filed by Punjab Police, Goldy Brar had coordinated with Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and some others to execute the killing of Moosewala in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29.
Brar is also accused of being a key conspirator in a Dera Sacha Sauda follower’s murder last month. A court in Punjab’s Faridkot district last year issued an open-ended non-bailable arrest warrant against Goldy Brar over the killing of Youth Congress leader Gurlal Singh Pehalwan, who was shot at 12 times by two unidentified assailants in Faridkot.
How Brar Planned Moosewala’s Murder
Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29. He was killed when he, along with his friend and cousin, was travelling in a jeep to Jawahar Ke village in Mansa. Six shooters waylaid and sprayed bullets on him. After the killing, Goldy Brar had claimed the responsibility for the act.
The Punjab Police had filed a 1,850-page chargesheet, its first in the case, against 24 accused in a Mansa court on August 26. The charge sheet was filed under different IPC sections, including 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 341 (wrongful restraint), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), and relevant provisions of the Arms Act.
The police had lodged an FIR against 36 accused but it filed the chargesheet against 24, including Goldy Brar, Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria.
According to the charge sheet, accused Goldy Brar was the mastermind behind the murder of Sidhu Moosewala. Brar had allegedly informed the shooters of withdrawal of Moosewala’s security on May 28 and had asked them to kill the singer on May 29. Moosewala was among the 424 people whose security was pruned by the Punjab Police on temporary basis.
The chargesheet alleges that Brar had coordinated with Bishnoi, Bhagwanpuria, Sachin Bhiwani, Anmol Bishnoi, Sachin Thapan, Monu Dagar, Pawan Bishnoi and the shooters and made the plan to kill Moosewala. He allegedly arranged weapons, money, cars, phones, SIM cards and shelters for the other accused. Brar allegedly used messaging app Signal to communicate with other accused.
What Was Goldy Brar’s Motive?
Goldy Brar allegedly executed the plan to murder Sidhu Moosewala to avenge the killing of Vicky Middukhera, a youth Akali leader who was killed last year. The name of Shaganpreet Singh, who was said to be Moosewala’s manager, had figured in the murder of Middukhera.
Police had identified six shooters who were part of the two modules allegedly involved in the killing. While Priyavrat Fauji, Kashish, Ankit Sersa and Deepak Mundi were in a Bolero vehicle, Manpreet Singh and Jagrup Singh Roopa were in a Toyota Corolla.
The Special Cell of the Delhi Police had earlier nabbed Priyavrat Fauji, Kashish and Ankit Sersa. Roopa and Manpreet were neutralised by the Punjab Police while Deepak Mundi was still at large.
Goldy Brar’s Trail
Brar has been known to be living in Canada. Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against the gangster in June this year after India’s Central Bureau of Investigation pushed foward with the request on behalf of the Punjab Police. The red corner notice was sought in connection with two previous cases against Brar.
FIR number 409 pertained to a shootout near the Kataria petrol pump in Faridkot on November 11, 2020, in which a charge sheet was filed in November, 2021, and warrants were issued in October, 1, 2021. The second FIR pertained to the murder of Gurlal Singh in Faridkot on February 18, 2021, in which a chargesheet was also filed in November 2021. The warrants were opened on September 13, 2021.
The Red Corner Notice alerts enforcement agencies of 195 Interpol member countries to locate and detain a fugitive wanted by a requesting member country. It is neither mandatory nor a pre-requisite for sending extradition request, more so when the location of the subject is known.
On Thursday, Sidhu Moosewala’s father demanded that the Union government announce a reward of Rs 2 crore for any information that leads to the arrest of Goldy Brar. Balkaur Singh said he was even ready to pay the reward from his own pocket if the government was unable to give out the high amount.
He claimed that Sidhu Moosewala used to pay Rs 2 crore as tax, requesting the central government to announce the reward for information that could lead to the gangster’s arrest.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment