Punjab Police Sent Brar's Red Corner Notice on 30 May, Not 19 May: CBI

Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar has taken responsibility for the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala.

(Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)

The Punjab Police sought a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar on 30 May, a day after Moose Wala was shot dead, and not on 19 May as claimed by the Punjab government on Wednesday, 8 June, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has revealed.

An RCN is issued to seek the arrest of a wanted person with the intention of extraditing them.

The Punjab Police had sought a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Goldy Brar, who had claimed responsibility for the murder of Moose Wala. Brar aka Satinder Singh is a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar jail.

According to the State Information and Public Relations Department, the police, on 19 May – 10 days before murder of Moose Wala – had already sent a proposal to the CBI to issue RCN notice against Brar.

The CBI, however, has said that the RCN proposal was received on 30 May at 12:25 pm via email and a letter dated 19 May was attached to it.

The CBI, thereafter, forwarded the proposal to the Interpol headquarters in Lyon on 2 June.

The RCN proposal is related to two cases, the First Information Reports (FIRs) for which were lodged at the Faridkot police station in November 2020 and February 2021. The red notice communication for these was sent nearly six months after a court had issued warrants against Brar, sources told news agency PTI.

Explaining further, the CBI said that the Red Notice is neither mandatory nor a pre-requisite for sending an extradition request, especially when the location of the subject is known.

The notice alerts enforcement agencies of 195 Interpol member-countries to locate and detain a fugitive wanted by a requesting member country.

"It is further clarified that Interpol channels are used for informal international police-to-police cooperation and a Red Notice is neither mandatory nor a pre-requisite for sending extradition request, more so when the location of subject is known," said the CBI statement.

'Bishnoi Was the Mastermind': Police

Moose Wala was shot dead on 29 May in Punjab's Mansa district, a day after the Punjab government restricted his security cover.

Delhi Police Special CP (Special Cell) HS Dhaliwal said on Wednesday, 8 June, that gangster Bishnoi was the mastermind behind the killing of Moose Wala, adding that a close associate of one of the shooters had been arrested.

Siddhesh Hiraman Kamble, alias Mahakal, who is a close associate of the main shooter in the case, was arrested on Wednesday, Pune police said, adding that at least five people were involved in the killing.

The police further added that five more suspects had been identified in connection with the singer's murder.

The Punjab Police, on 7 June, arrested at least eight people for aiding Moose Wala's shooters with logistical support and recce, and for harbouring them.

Bishnoi and Brar Claimed Responsibility Through Facebook

In two widely circulated Facebook posts, gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar took responsibility for the singer-politician's death.

"I, along with my brother Goldy Brar, take responsibility of killing Sidhu Moose Wala. People may say whatever they want to, but we have avenged the death of our brother Vicky Middukhera. Sidhu Moose Wala had helped to get him killed," one of the posts read.

"I had called him from Jaipur and told him that what he did was wrong. He told me he didn't care for anyone and he challenged me saying that he too kept his weapon loaded. So now we have avenged our brother's death. But this is just the beginning. Whoever was involved in the killing of our brother, they should be alert," the Facebook post added.

(With inputs from PTI.)