CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Police in a joint operation with Himachal Pradesh Police arrested a close aide of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who played the prime role in the planning, execution as well as providing shelter to killers of Youth Congress leader “Gurlal Singh Bhalwan” on the directions of Lawrence Bishnoi and Canada based Goldy Brar.
The arrested accused has been identified as Gagandeep Singh @ Padda @ Gagan Brar @ Labh Singh Labhu @ Gogi s/o Gurmeet Singh r/o Vill Panjgarai Kalan, Kotkapura, Faridkot.
Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Dinkar Gupta, in his press communique, stated that the killing was organised by Goldy Brar, with the help of Gangster Bishnoi, to avenge the murder of his cousin Gurlal Brar.
A few hours after the murder, a post purported on a Facebook page of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently in Rajasthan’s Ajmer Jail, linked the crime with the death of Bishnoi’s aide Gurlal Brar.
On February 21, Delhi Police arrested 3 men Gurvinder Pal @Gora, Sukhwinder Dhillon, and Saurabh Verma, involved in the murder and the next day Punjab police arrested Gurpinder Singh, a resident of Ghania Wala village, in the murder case for providing weapons to the assailants.
Investigations revealed that Gurvinder pal @ Gora was sharing a flat with Gagan Brar in Kharar and the conspiracy was hatched in this rented accommodation of Gagan Brar at Kharar. Gagan being close associate of Goldy Brar is wanted by Delhi Special Cell and Faridkot Police for his involvement in the murder.
Delhi Police even raided his rented accommodation at Kharar but Gagan had inactivated all his communication channels and gave a slip before the raid as he got information about their arrest by the Delhi Police.
DGP Gupta said that based on specific inputs, teams of Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) and Counter Intelligence Units of Punjab Police were tasked for arresting the accused under the supervision of Additional DGP (ADGP) Internal Security RN Dhoke. These teams tracked locations of the accused in Kasol, Himachal Pradesh and apprehended gangster Gagan Brar in a joint operation with the Himachal Police.
During his preliminary interrogation, Gagan Brar revealed that he was working as a bouncer in night clubs in Chandigarh and was friends with Gora and Gurlal Brar for the last over 4-5 years. He had got the job of a bouncer with the reference of Gurlal Brar.
The DGP further disclosed that Gora introduced him to Goldy Brar. Rajan Pandey@ Vishal and Chhotu, named two persons, who seemed to hail from Haryana, stayed in their room for about 20 days and left the room with Gora two days before the murder.
On the instructions of Goldy Brar, Gagan handed over a bagful of arms and ammunition to an unknown person near First Bite Pizza in Kharar, a day before the murder. This bag was brought by Gora and kept in the wardrobe of his room.
After Delhi Police raided his rented accommodation, he took shelter in a friend's flat in Kharar for the next two days and then went to the Golden Temple Amritsar; from there he went to McLeod Ganj and then reached Kasol in Himachal Pradesh.
During his escape, Gagan Brar remained in contact with Goldy Brar via various OTT Apps and Goldy Brar also sent him money via Google pay for his living expenses.
The accused has been arrested in the case FIR number 44 dated 18/2/2021 u/s 302, 120-b, 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 25 Arms Act registered at Police Station City Faridkot. The police team produced him before the magistrate and took him on police remand for further investigations.