The district police on Friday claimed to have cracked the murder case of law student Manpreet Singh alias Manna by arresting two brothers and recovering the weapon used in the incident. Old rivalry and fight for leadership among students were the main reasons behind the murder, the police said.
Police said brothers Karan and Ravi, residents of Tarn Taran were arrested during a checking and over 1-kg of narcotics was seized from them. Police said they were travelling in the same Hyundai Verna car (PB 56-B-3901) that was used by the assailants the day Manna was killed.
Son of a police assistant sub-inspector, Manna was killed outside the Punjab University’s regional campus in Bajwara on May 21 by about a dozen assailants. He was assaulted with sharp edged weapons and also shot at. The police had earlier denied that firing had taken place, but the post-mortem report had confirmed bullet injury. The police now claimed to have recovered the .32-bore US made weapon from the arrested youth.
At a press conference, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kuldip Singh Chahal said the murder had been executed by the Kala Falahi gang that was involved in several criminal activities. “It is surprising that they were travelling in the same car that was used for committing the crime, with original registration number,” he said, when media pointed out this rather incongruous lead. Sources, however, said the brothers were arrested from Zirakpur on Thursday.
The SSP said a hardcore criminal Binny Gujjar, who is currently lodged in Amritsar jail, was one of the main conspirators behind the murder. “We will bring him on production warrant to get more information. We have identified a number of other accused and hope to nab them soon,” the SSP said. He said the police had tightened the noose around Kala, who was involved in drug trade also.
“On the day of the crime, all the accused had come to Kala and together they went to the university campus to kill Manna. Some college students are known to have coordinated with the accused by giving information about Manna’s movement. We have almost identified them,” the SSP said.
He said Kala was a proclaimed offender and wanted in several cases by Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar police. After the murder of the law student, he committed a dacoity in Nangal, he said, adding two cases of petty crime were also registered against Manna in the city.
The SSP did not comment on the involvement of the three youth in the crime who were allegedly kept in illegal custody for interrogation. They were got released by a warrant officer of the Punjab and Haryana high court. “We will present our point of view in the court,” he said.
