Kabaddi player Sandeep Singh Nangal Ambian's murder: 5 more held, police hint at league rivalry

Tribune News Service

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, June 5

The Punjab Police have arrested five more persons in the high-profile murder case of international kabaddi player Sandeep Singh Nangal Ambian, taking the total arrests to nine, Jalandhar-Rural SSP Swapan Sharma said here today.

Those arrested have been identified as Harwinder Singh, alias Fauji, an ex-Army man from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh; Vikas Malhe of Gurugram; Sachin Dhaulia of Alwar, Rajasthan; Manjot Kaur of Sangrur and Yadwinder Singh of Pilibhit, UP. Seven pistols, including five .30 bore foreign-made and two .315 country-made, and three vehicles have been seized.

Blaming the murder on “inter-kabaddi federation rivalry” and the “craze to dominate the game”, the police said the crime was the collective handiwork of the Bambiha and Kaushal-Dagar gangs. The police didn’t name any federation, but said their “names may be revealed as the investigation progressed”.

Ambian was shot dead by five unidentified assailants during a kabaddi match at Mallian village in Jalandhar around 6 pm on March 14. Twenty-one persons have been identified in the case even as the names of only nine have been made public. Ambian forming his own kabaddi league and it being joined by several prominent players is stated to be the main reason behind his killing, the police said. Other federations feared he may dominate the game,” they said.

The SSP said Fauji, a former Army man and the main coordinator of the Kaushal-Dagar gang that is active in Delhi, Haryana and western UP, was the murder kingpin. Arrested from a village near Bulandshahr, he allegedly provided weapons, training, money and logistics support to the sharpshooters. The police said he reportedly got orders to kill the player from gangsters Kaushal and Dagar, who had “monetary stakes” in the game.

Accused Malhe, nabbed from Faridabad, allegedly was the main shooter who accompanied Fauji to the crime spot, the police said, adding he also trained other shooters.

Those arrested earlier were Fateh Singh, alias Yuvraj, of Sangrur; Kaushal Chaudhary of Naharpur Roopa in Gurugram; Amit Dagar of Maheshpur Palvan village in Haryana and Simranjeet Singh, alias Jujhar, alias gangster, of Madhopur village in Pilibhit, UP. All the four are history-sheeters facing over 20 criminal cases, mostly of murder and attempt to murder. They were brought on production warrant from different jails.

The SSP said Dhaulia and Manjot Kaur were arrested for allegedly harbouring Kaushal-Dagar gang members. Fifth accused Yadwinder is a close associate of Jujhar, a mediator between the gang members who provided them SIM cards.

Ex-Army man ‘mastermind’

• Harwinder Singh, alias Fauji, retired from the Army in Feb after 18 years of service
• Said to be the murder kingpin, he got kill orders from gangsters Kaushal and Dagar
• Is a history-sheeter facing 21 cases pertaining to murder, dacoity and extortion

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