Sidhu Moosewala killing: Deepak Tinu, Lawrence Bishnoi's associate, escapes from Punjab police's custody

One of the accused behind the murder of Punjabi singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala, Deepak Tinu, is reported to have escaped from the Mansa Police's Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) unit's custody in Punjab.

Said to be a close aide of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Tinu was being brought in a private vehicle by police on remand from Kapurthala jail to Mansa’s CIA staff office when he managed to escape from custody on Sunday.

He was reportedly brought on remand from Punjab’s Kapurthala jail to Mansa. His last conversation with Lawrence Bishnoi took place on May 27 -- two days before Moose Wala shot dead in Mansa.

Moose Wala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in his car on 29 May 2022 in Jawaharke village of Mansa district.

According to police, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang initially claimed responsibility of the murder in an unverified Facebook post, which Bishnoi denied making, but is considered by the Punjab Police to be the group responsible for the murder.

BJP blames AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal

BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to Twitter on Sunday morning, alleging that the AAP government was unserious about combating organised crime in Punjab, and suggested that Tinu was able to escape due to lax security standards.

"42 car convoy for Proxy CM Bhagwant Mann, protection for VVIP netas of AAP but Bishnoi gang aide Deepak Tinu - who had major role on Moosewala murder ESCAPES FROM PUNJAB POLICE CUSTODY! AAP is not ensuring crackdown on Gangs but helping them! Do we need more proof?" Poonawalla tweeted.

Meanwhile, Delhi-based BJP leader Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga took the opportunity to take a swipe at the AAP government in Punjab, claiming -- without offering any proof -- that the escape of the accused was only possible due to the connivance of the state government.

"The escape of Sidhu Mussewala's murderer Deepak Tinu from the High Security Jail is impossible without the connivance of the government. @ArvindKejriwal and @raghav_chadha had removed the security of Sidhu Musewala and then made it public. Now the escape of such a big murderer from such security cannot be a coincidence, " Bagga tweeted.

Notably, in May this year, the Punjab police barged into his Delhi home and placed him under arrest, in connection with a case registered against him by an Aam Aadmi Party leader, Sunny Singh Ahluwali, in Mohali, alleging that Bagga had made provocative statements, spread rumours, and tried to create religious and communal enmity, and that he allegedly threatened Arvind Kejriwal during a protest on March 30. Ahluwalia had also submitted statements and video clips of Bagga to the police.

As the Punjab Police left with Bagga, the Delhi Police sprung into action, registering a case of abduction against their Punjab counterparts at the Janakpuri police station. Soon, the Haryana Police too entered the scene. The crime branch of Kurukshetra intercepted the Punjab Police's convoy that was escorting Bagga to Mohali near the Khanpur Kolia National Highway-GT Road crossing and took them in for questioning.