Brother of key accused in Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder killed, family alleges fake encounter

The sibling of the primary suspect in Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder case has been reported dead by his family, who claim that his demise was a result of a staged confrontation.

Just a few hours after a criminal, who happens to be the sibling of the primary suspect in the murder case of Sidhu Moose Wala, was fatally shot while his accomplice sustained gunshot wounds during a police encounter near Samalkha in Panipat, the family members of the deceased alleged that the police staged a fake encounter.

As per the police statement, Rakesh Kumar, also known as Raka, aged 32 and the younger brother of Priyavrat Fauji, the main suspect in the murder case of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, along with Parveen Kumar from Panipat, reportedly engaged in gunfire with the police near Samalkha town on Friday night.

In response, the police retaliated, resulting in both Rakesh and Parveen, also known as Sonu, being wounded by bullets. Rakesh was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

According to the police, Rakesh hails from Garhi Sisana village in Sonepat and had been involved in multiple criminal cases across Sonepat, Panipat, and Kurukshetra districts. Both Rakesh and Parveen were wanted in various cases, including instances of extortion and firing at a coaching center owner in Kurukshetra.

According to Panipat’s superintendent of police, Ajit Singh Shekhawat, the Crime Investigation Agency received information regarding the movement of the gangsters. As a result, the police team established a checkpoint. Upon noticing the presence of the police, the two individuals attempted to escape. The police pursued them, and when they reached the bridge, law enforcement surrounded their vehicle from all directions.

According to the SP, the criminals initiated gunfire towards the police team, prompting the officers to retaliate by firing back. Bullets struck their legs, resulting in their injuries. Both individuals were transported to the civil hospital, where Rakesh was pronounced dead, while Parveen was admitted with a bullet wound to his leg. The preliminary report from the doctors indicated that Rakesh had injury marks solely on his leg.

The exact cause of Rakesh’s death is yet to be determined since he had a single bullet injury on his leg. The SP mentioned that the cause of death would be established during the post-mortem examination.

However, the family members of the deceased, who were protesting, refused to permit the police to conduct a post-mortem, despite the police assuring them that the procedure would be recorded through videography and photography. The family alleged that Rakesh’s death was the result of a staged encounter.

In response to the family members’ claims that Rakesh had no criminal history, the SP countered by stating that Rakesh was indeed involved in 10 First Information Reports (FIRs) across Sonepat, Panipat, and Kurukshetra.

The SP further emphasized that the definitive cause of death could be determined through the postmortem report, given that the bullet had solely impacted Rakesh’s leg.