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“More than 500 CCTV cameras examined”: Four accused in Moga sarpanch murder arrested in Leh
Police said they would produce the accused persons in a court on Sunday and take them for the recovery of the weapon used in the crime.
Harwinder Singh Happy, the current sarpanch of Patto Heera Singh village, who was shot dead by a group of assailants in Baghapurana on Friday.
A week after Patto Heera Singh village sarpanch Harwinder Singh Happy was shot dead in broad daylight in Baghapurana on March 6, Moga police Saturday said four accused, including main accused Manpreet Singh Bablu, were arrested in Leh (Ladakh).
More than 500 CCTV cameras were examined to trace the location of the accused who were finally arrested from Leh, said police in a statement.
Manpreet Singh of Jaimalwala village is the husband of Rupinder Kaur, the alleged partner of the deceased sarpanch, police said.
Baghapurana DSP Dalbir Singh, in a statement, said, “After gunning down the sarpanch on March 6, the accused had fled to Leh in UT Ladakh. Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) teams traced the four accused to Leh and arrested them.”
Police identified the three other accused persons as Jashanpreet Singh, alias Jassu of Chand Purana, Yogesh Sharma, alias Bahman of Gobindgarh Basti, Moga, and Harminder Singh, alias Hinda of Jaimalwala village.
Police said they would produce the accused persons in a court on Sunday and take them for the recovery of the weapon used in the crime.
The DSP said, “Investigation revealed that Manpreet Singh suspected that his wife was having an affair with the sarpanch. So, he, along with his accomplices, rented a Fortuner vehicle. Jashandeep was driving the SUV, while three other occupants Manpreet, Yogesh and Harminder alighted from the vehicle and shot the sarpanch dead in Baghapurana, brazenly firing at him at least 14-15 rounds.”
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“After shooting him dead, the four accused abandoned the rented Fortuner at an isolated spot in Jagraon (of Ludhiana district), and fled to Leh-Ladakh in their own Fortuner with a fake number plate on it,” the DSP said.
The DSP said all four accused were identified from CCTV footage.
“These four had executed the murder, but there might be more conspirators. We will nominate more accused after their interrogation,” the DSP said.
“Rupinder Kaur will also be questioned,” the DSP added.
Happy was elected sarpanch as an Independent candidate, but moved closer to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He was shot dead outside a gym in Baghapurana on March 6.
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Police said that Happy had at least 10 FIRs lodged against him.
A local Moga court on Sunday sent the four accused in a five-day police remand for questioning.
“During the investigation, footage from more than 500 CCTV cameras was thoroughly examined, which helped the police trace the vehicle used by the accused. Based on CCTV footage, the movement of the vehicle was continuously tracked, revealing that the accused had moved towards Jammu & Kashmir via Amritsar and Pathankot. Subsequently, the location of the accused was eventually traced in Leh-Ladakh, from where they were arrested and brought on transit remand,” said Moga Police in a statement on Sunday.
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