The Punjab Police on Tuesday arrested eight people for providing logistic support and conducting recce and harbouring the shooters of renowned Punjabi Singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala who was shot dead on May 29, informed the State Information and Public Relations Department.

According to a statement issued by the Punjab Information and Public Relations Department, Moose Wala's body had 19 bullet injury injuries and he died within 15 minutes of being shot, as per the post-mortem report, which also stated that the cause of his death was "haemorrhage shock" due to antemortem firearm injuries. Moosewala, left his house at around 4.30 PM on May 29 with a neighbour Gurwinder Singh and a cousin Gurpreet Singh, when he was shot dead by some unidentified persons, said the statement.

As per the statement, the persons arrested have been identified as Sandeep Singh alias Kekda of Haryana's Sirsa, Manpreet Singh alias Manna of Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda, Manpreet Bhau of Dhaipai of Faridkot Saraj Mintu of village Dode Kalsia in Amritsar, Prabhdeep Sidhu alias Pabbi of Takhat-Mall, Haryana; Monu Dagar of village Rewli in Sonipat, Haryana, Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb both from Haryana's Fatehabad.

The Police have also identified four shooters involved in the crime, said the statement. Divulging the roles of the arrested persons, ADGP Anti-Gangster Task Force Parmod Ban said, "Kekda, on the directions of Goldy Brar and Sachin Thapan, had kept a tab on the singer's movements by impersonating himself as his fan.

He also clicked selfies with the singer, when the latter was leaving his home, minutes before the murder." "Kekda has shared all the inputs like the singer was not accompanied by his security personnel, the number of occupants, vehicle details and that he was travelling in a non-bullet-proof vehicle, with the shooters and handlers operating from abroad," the ADGP said. He also said that Manpreet Manna had provided a car to Manpreet Bahu, who further delivered it to two persons-- suspected to be the shooters-- on the directions of Saraj Mintu, who is a close aide of Goldy Brar and Sachin Thapan.

The ADGP further said that the fifth accused Prabhdeep Sidhu had provided shelter to the two associates of Goldy Brar, who came from Haryana in January 2022, and also conducted the recce of Moosewala's home and surrounding areas through them, while Monu Dagar had provided two shooters and helped assemble the team of shooters to carry out this murder, on the directions of Brar.

"Pawan Bishnoi and Naseeb had handed over another vehicle to the shooters and had provided them hideout," said Ban. According to Ban, the Special Investigation Team headed by IGP PAP Jaskaran Singh has been working strategically and cohesive efforts are being made to arrest the identified shooters and other accused persons involved in the crime.