In an embarrassment for the chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government, a purported interview of gangster Goldy Brar has surfaced, in which he has denied his detention by the United States (US) authorities. News18 has not independently verified the authenticity of the video.
The reported video comes days after Mann, on December 2, “confirmed” Brar’s detention in the killing of singer Sidhu Moose Wala. Brar claimed in the purported interview with a YouTube journalist that he had not been detained by the US police.
“The claims made by the Chief Minister are wrong. I am not even in the US, so the question of detention doesn’t arise,” he is heard saying in the purported interview which the journalist shared on social media.
While campaigning for the Gujarat elections, Mann had told the media about the detention and termed it “a big success against gangsters”. The issue has now snowballed into a controversy with the opposition accusing Mann of misleading people for “electoral gains”.
UNDER ATTACK
Congress President Raja Warring, while seeking clarification from the Chief Minister, said the truth needs to come out. “If he is saying he has not been arrested and if that is true, it means the Chief Minister has been lying for some petty gains in the Gujarat elections,” he alleged.
He questioned the timing of Mann’s statement. “Even before central agencies or for that matter, the state agencies could confirm, Mann jumped to a conclusion and that too made a statement in poll-bound Gujarat. It seems he was trying to extract political benefits out of the case,’’ alleged the PCC Chief.
Mann Sahib as claimed by you that Goldy Brar is in the custody of American agencies, in the intrest of confidence building DGP Punjab should clear the air about the exact state of affairs by holding press conference. News contrary to your claim have surfaced in social media. pic.twitter.com/hMdS6QoD7A— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) December 3, 2022
The day Mann made the statement, his media team, including senior IAS officers in Punjab, had also told reporters to stay tuned for an important press conference by the CM on how Brar was detained.
“Although it is the Indian government and the central agencies that deal with cases of wanted Indian criminals in foreign countries, the Punjab CM’s claims come as another setback to the state police regarding the Moose Wala case,” said SAD leader Bikram Majithiya.
Earlier, the Delhi Special Cell police had arrested most of the shooters involved in the killing. A key accused, Deepak Tina, however, escaped from the custody of Mansa police with the help of a Punjab police sub-Inspector.
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