Gangster Penta murder case: Moga police granted 9-day remand of Lawrence Bishnoi

Moga SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana said that Bishnoi was nominated as an accused in the murder of gangster Harjit Singh alias Penta, who belonged to Bishnoi’s arch rival Davinder Bambiha gang.

FIR in the case was registered at Baghapurana police station on April 2 under sections 302/307/120-B of IPC and 25/27 of Arms Act.

Moga Police said that Bishnoi gang’s sharpshooter Manpreet Singh alias Mannu along with his accomplice Jagroop Roopa alias Prem, had allegedly shot dead their rival gangster Harjit Singh alias Penta in broad daylight at Mari Mustafa village in Baghapurana division of Moga on April 2 this year.

Also a co- accused in Sidhu Moosewala murder case, sharpshooters Mannu and Roopa were later shot dead in an alleged encounter with Punjab Police at a village in Amritsar in July.

Moga Police said that Mannu was booked for Penta’s murder after Chamkaur alias Beant, who was brought on production warrant from Ferozepur jail for questioning, revealed that ‘he got to know from the Ferozepur jail inmates that gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar had sent their shooters – Mannu and Prem- to kill Harjit Singh Penta who had an affiliation with Davinder Bambiha gang.’

It was also revealed that Mannu had a personal enmity with Penta as the latter had assaulted him way back in 2017 when they were lodged in Faridkot jail. “Penta’s murder was a result of gang rivalry between Bambiha group and Bishnoi group members inside jail,” said a senior Moga police official, adding that Bishnoi was nominated as an accused in the case.

During investigation, Moga police also found that a Facebook page “Lawrence Bishnoi” was created by the gang members to claim responsibility for Penta’s murder. It was found that the page was created using the phone of a woman Rupanjali of Nangloi in Delhi. A team of Moga Police arrested Rupanjali from Delhi, said a Moga Police official, adding that  ‘she revealed that she came in touch with Anmol Bishnoi, brother of Lawrence Bishnoi through Facebook.’

Penta was a ‘B’ category gangster and was wanted in an illegal weapons case and an inspector was suspended for Moga police for failing to arrest him before his murder.

Inspector Jatinder Singh, SHO Baghapurana police station, said that of six accused in Penta murder case — two sharpshooters Mannu and Roopa alias Prem were shot dead in encounter, three others (Bishnoi, Rupanjali and Parbat Singh) have been arrested, and Bishnoi’s brother Anmol Bishnoi is still absconding.

“Roopa had introduced himself as Prem to Parbat Singh who had helped in recce before the murder. However, later when photos were matched, it was found that Prem was Roopa and he too was shot dead in an encounter with Mannu,” said SHO.