Local gangster Manpreet Singh, alias Mani Bhinder, in a purported social media post, claimed the “responsibility of killing” Congress worker Umarseer Singh, 38.
Singh was shot dead at Bhinder Kalan village in Punjab’s Moga district on Saturday morning, with at least 15 rounds fired on his car by unidentified assailants, police said.
The victim’s brother Gurwinder Singh named Mani Bhinder as one of the suspects in the killing, following which he was booked, along with six others.
A senior police officer in Moga said Bhinder, a local gangster from Bhinder Khurd village (also the victim’s village), has at least 13 cases, including attempt to murder, registered against him, but he fled to the US via the “donkey” or “dunki” route in 2022.
In the purported social media post, Bhinder wrote that “Umarseer has started feeling like a Badshah due to which I got him killed”. “I take the responsibility for Umarseer’s murder. I had an old enmity with him. I did not execute this killing for any extortion or ransom. I have never harassed anyone unnecessarily, but if they are targeted unnecessarily, then they should also remain prepared. The entire village knows that he (Umarseer) was involved in every illegal activity. He was involved in gambling in the name of Nestlé. He had started feeling like a Badshah. Those who love him should remain quiet, or else we will silence them also soon.”
An employee at the Nestle plant, Umarseer was on his way to work when assailants waylaid his car and opened fire on him, killing him on the spot.
The victim’s kin, in their statement to the police, claimed village-level political rivalry during the recently concluded block samiti elections behind the murder.
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Basedon Gurwinder’s statement, police booked seven persons, including Bhinder Khurd village sarpanch Inderpal Singh, who reportedly owes his allegiance to the ruling AAP, history-sheeters Manpreet, alias Mani Bhinder, and Gagandeep Singh, alias Laden, both Bhinder Khurd natives who are believed to be hiding in the US, for allegedly conspiring to kill. Gurwinder identified two shooters as Manpreet, alias Mannu Bhugipuriya, and Bhinda Singh, both from Bhinder Khurd.
According to the FIR, Gurwinder alleged that sarpanch Inderpal Singh from the ruling AAP conspired in his brother’s murder due to political rivalry. In the recently held block samiti polls, the sarpanch was pressuring Umarseer to withdraw Veerpal Kaur’s candidature from the Congress, but he refused, and she eventually won, the complainant stated.
Police sources, however, said that prima facie Mani Bhinder and Umarseer, both closely associated with the Congress, had been in rivalry since 2017. Bhinder was against Umarseer’s inclusion in the Congress and had even called him ahead of block samiti polls to “stop interfering” in the party’s affairs, but the latter refused, they said.
Dharamkot DSP Jaswarinder Singh said, “As per the preliminary probe, history-sheeter Mani Bhinder, who fled to the US in 2022, is one of the main conspirators in this killing. The victim, Umarseer, too had three-four FIRs registered against him. The role of incumbent sarpanch Inderpal Singh is being probed.”
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The DSP added that another accused Balkar Singh, alias Pappu, who allegedly did a recce of Umarseer, was detained on Sunday.