Singla, who owns around 500 liquor vends in Punjab and Chandigarh, already has the security cover of Punjab Police. Express Photo: Kamleshwar Singh.
Notorious criminal Lawrence Bishnoi, who is lodged at Bharatpur jail in Rajasthan, had planned four crimes, including shooting at the house of liquor baron, Arvind Singla, and at a liquor vend in Sector 9, said a senior police officer privy to the interrogation of criminal Dipu Banur. Dipu Banur is in five-day police custody in the connection with the firing at the house of Singla’s brother in Sector 33.
The police officer said, “Arms including 32 bore and 9mm pistols along with huge cartridges were provided to five shooters, including Karan Sharma, by the associates of Lawrence Bishnoi. Dipu Banur roped the shooters for executing the firing. We are grilling Dipu to ascertain the two more criminal tasks assigned to him by Lawrence. Apparently, more people in the liquor business were the target. As per the initial interrogation of Dipu Banur, we are concluding that Dipu was not aware about the motives behind the firing. He was just executing the orders of his superior gangsters. The two- Dipu and Lawrence -were in touch with each other through smart phones, using specific mobile applications from inside the jails. We have almost also identified four other shooters involved in the firing at Sector 33. They will be arrested shortly.”
Sources said, “Efforts are being made to recover the SIM and cell phone that was used by Dipu Banur inside Ambala Central Jail. It will strengthen the case against Dipu.”
Dipu Banur’s involvement came to the fore after the arrest of hotel management student, Karan Sharma. Sharma had disclosed the name of Dipu, maintaining that he received the instructions for the firing from Dipu. Sources said, Lawrence Bishnoi will be brought to the UT on production warrants.
They further said that Kulwinder Singh alias Kala, a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, had also corroborated the disclosures made by Dipu Banur, who is also a known criminal associated with Lawrence Bishnoi gang. He was brought to the UT from Ambala Central Jail, on production warrants Tuesday.
Police said, Kala had assisted the five assailants in escaping from Chandigarh. He was arrested with 80 live cartridges. A Zirakpur-based gym trainer, Sewak, was also arrested. Sources said that he had arranged for the five assailants.
So far, four suspects, Karan Sharma, Sewak, Kulwinder Singh, alias Kala and Dipu Banur, in connection with the Sector 33 firing are in police custody. Nobody was hurt in the random firing. Liquor baron Arvind Singla was not present at his brother’s house when the firing took place.
Singla, who owns around 500 liquor vends in Punjab and Chandigarh, already has the security cover of Punjab Police.