On 3rd February (Saturday), the Anti-Gangster Task Force of the Punjab Police stated that it has arrested Mandeep Singh alias Chotta Mani who is a close aide of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Singh allegedly provided hideouts for the killers of controversial singer-turned-politician Sidhu Moosewala. 

Singh alias Chotta Mani was arrested with an accomplice Jatinder Singh in Manimajra. Police teams also recovered two .32 caliber pistols along with 12 live cartridges from their possession.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said that following reliable inputs about the presence of Chotta Mani in the Zirakpur area, teams of Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force traced him and arrested him along with an associate.

In a breakthrough, #AGTF Punjab has arrested two operatives: Mandeep Singh & Jatinder Singh of Lawrence Bishnoi & Goldy Brar Gang

Mandeep had provided hideouts to the accused involved in Sidhu Moosewala’s murder and also facilitated the escape of Gangster Deepak Tinu in 2017 1/3 pic.twitter.com/8IarMLvKBP

— DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) February 3, 2024

He added that Chotta Mani arranged hideouts for the killers of Moosewala, who was shot dead in May 2022.

According to the Police official, both the accused were actively working for Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gangs. The duo have a criminal history. 

Yadav said that cases of attempt to murder, extortion, robbery, and those under the Arms Act are registered against them in Chandigarh and Haryana.  

As per the DGP, preliminary investigation has revealed that handlers based abroad had tasked the accused to carry out targeted killings of rival gangsters 

Assistant Inspector General Sandeep Goel stated that Bishnoi wanted to help Chotta Mani settle abroad and sent him to Dubai thrice to facilitate his safe entry into Europe. 

The officer added that Chotta Mani, however, failed to get entry into Europe and had to return to India.

Goel added that in 2022, accused Chotta Mani along with his other associates Sachin Thapan, Deepak Mundi, and Joginder Joga – all shooters and accused involved in Sidhu Moosewala murder, were directed by foreign handlers to commit the sensational crime. It was done on the directions of Ayodhya-based politician Vikas Singh, who was later arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in November 2023, the officer added.

Sidhu Moosewala, whose real name is Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu was shot dead in an attack in Mansa, Punjab. The attack took place in the village Jawaharke of Mansa on 29th May 2022, a day after the AAP-led Punjab government had withdrawn his security. The 28-year-old Sidhu hailed from the village Moosa in Mansa in Punjab and was also a Congress leader.