In a major breakthrough in the case pertaining to the murder of Sidhu Moose Wala, an individual identified as Sachin Thapan, who was in touch with key accused Goldy Brar, has been detained in Azerbaijan with the support of the Government of India, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday, 30 August.
"The legal processes are on, and we are hopeful that he will be brought to India soon. We are committed to deliver justice in the Sidhu Moose Wala case," the DGP added.
Sachin Thapan is a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, the mastermind behind the Moose Wala's killing, the police added.
Punjabi singer-politician Sidhu Moose Wala was fatally shot on 29 May by unidentified men near Jawaharke village in Punjab's Mansa district. According to reports, the autopsy suggested that the body received 25 bullet injuries.
'Hatched a Conspiracy, Procured Fake Passports': Punjab Police
Meanwhile, the Punjab Police further indicated that, Lawrence Bishnoi, in a well hatched conspiracy to protect himself, his brother Anmol Bishnoi and Sachin Thapan, created an alibi so that he and his associates are not linked to the crime and absolved of any involvement in Moose Wala's murder.
"To execute this plan, he procured passports for his brother Anmol Bishnoi and Sachin Thapan on fake particulars, that were issued by Regional Passport Office (RPO), Delhi, and directed them to flee the country ahead of the execution of the singer's murder," the police stated.
Here are the details of the fake passports of Sachin Thapan and Anmol Bishnoi:
(Sachin Thapan's fake passport)
(Sourced from Punjab Police by The Quint)
(Anmol Bishnoi's fake passport)
(Sourced from Punjab Police by The Quint)
Both Thapan and Anmol Bishnoi have a long criminal past, having been named in around 12 and 18 First Information Reports (FIRs), respectively, say police.
Who Is Sachin Thapan?
Sachin Thapan is a resident of Fazika district in Punjab. The details provided by the police indicate that he may be from the same village as Lawrence Bishnoi - Duttaranwali, though the spellings used are different in Thapan's case.
In an interview to News18, Sachin Thapan had claimed that Bishnoi is his maternal uncle. In the same interview, he had claimed to have shot Moose Wala himself.
(Sachin Thapan with Lawrence Bishnoi)
(Sachin Thapan Bishnoi Facebook Page)
In the interview he had accused Moose Wala of being involved in the killing of Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middu Khera and of funding gangsters and said that this was the reason behind the killing.
He had called Lawrence Bishnoi a devotee of "Bajrang Bali" and an "icon for the whole nation".
The Facebook page attributed to Sachin Thapan lists him as being part of a Gau Raksha Dal in Punjab.
In Punjab, it is common for gangsters to have active Facebook accounts even when they are in jail or absconding. The accounts are run either by gangsters themselves or their 'fans'.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)