3 weeks pass, cops grope in dark in Manna murder case

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, December 21

Nearly three weeks after history-sheeter Manpreet Singh, alias Manna, was shot dead by some sharpshooters outside a gym in a shopping mall complex in Malout town, the district police have so far been unable to arrest any assailant.

Notably, just about two hours after the murder, a Facebook post was made from a page in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, claiming that the murder was done by gangster Raju Bhisodi because Manna had turned a police informer for the encounter of gangster Ankit Bhadu.

The district police even visited a jail in Rajasthan and questioned Lawrence there. Besides, the deceased’s family had raised suspicion on a senior SAD leader’s son and a councillor of Malout town, who were also questioned. However, the police have not yet got any major clue in the case.

Notably, four armed assailants on December 2 had come in a Brezza car outside the gym and two of them had opened fire on Manna. While Manna was shot at in his head, chest and abdomen, his friend Jacky escaped with a minor injury on the leg.

Manna was a close relative of Congress leaders Shubhdeep Singh Bittu and Bakhshish Singh. Some politicians, including Malout MLA-cum-Deputy Speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti of the Congress and senior SAD leader-cum-former Malout MLA Harpreet Singh, had attended his cremation.

Rajbachan Singh Sandhu, SSP, Muktsar, said, “The special investigation team (SIT) is trying hard and has questioned some people in the case. However, no arrest has been made so far. We are now working on the possible involvement of Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang in the murder and have sent some teams to Haryana as well.”