Architect’s killing: Accused was at wedding when he switched off phone

LUDHIANA: A day after Ludhiana police arrested a contract killer and his accomplice for murdering a 33-year-old architect, the investigation has revealed that the key conspirator had attended a wedding function at a banquet hall on Gill Road on the day of the killing.

Cops have fanned out teams to trace the mastermind Balwinder Singh, an auto parts trader of New Aman Nagar.

Mandeep Singh Bansal (32) of Dhandra Road was shot dead in Dugri Phase-I on October 11.

On the statement Surmeet Bansal, brother of the deceased, the police had booked Balwinder, who allegedly wanted to get Mandeep eliminated for his alleged affair with his wife.

Police said the has shown that Balwinder had attended a wedding function of his relative at a banquet hall in the Gill Road area on October 11. He had switched off his phone thereafter. Additional deputy commissioner police (ADCP) Surinder Lamba said, “We have formed teams to arrest the accused, who is the mastermind in the case. The teams have conducted raid at Balwinder’s house, but he remains to be at large. Through his phone details, his last location could be traced to the wedding hall, where he was present on the day of the incident.”

Cops said that they have come to know that the accused has relatives outside Ludhiana district and details of his possible hideouts are being collected. They added that after the information is gathered, teams will be sent to these places to look for him. A police officer among the investigators said that the accused is not in contact with his family after the incident.

Ludhiana police on Friday had arrested Gurwinder Singh, 27, of Aman Nagar and his accomplice Amanpal, of New Aman Nagar for killing of Mandeep Singh Bansal.

Ludhiana Police Commissioner Dr Sukchain Singh Gill had said that Balwinder had planned the incident for last about six months with Gurwinder and had promised to give him Rs.15 lakhs for killing. He added that as Gurwinder was to get married on October 14. He was in need of money and was getting restive to execute the killing so that he could get money before marriage.