Jagroop
Singh Rupa
and Mannu Kussa, two gangsters accused of being involved in the murder of Punjabi rap
singer Sidhu Moose Wala, were killed in an encounter with the police Wednesday.
Media reports indicate that Jagroop Singh Rupa and Mannu Kussa were killed at Bhakna village
located 20 kilometres from Amritsar. Police were tailing the two men and were able to corner them at
the village when the shootout ensued. The encounter was confirmed by Punjab’s
Anti-Gangster Task Force.

Jagroop
Singh Rupa  and Manprit Singh alias Mannu Kussa were members of the Jaggu Bhaganpuria gang, according to The Tribune.  Bhaganpuria had sent these shooters to Lawerence Bishnoi to kill Moose Wala, the report further said. Police had been trying to track them down for the last 52 days. 

Three law enforcement officials were injured in the encounter. 

The encounter started around noon. At least eight shooters involved in Sidhu Moose Wala’s killing have been arrested. 

Sidhu Moose Wala, whose formal name was Shubhdeep Singh Sindhu, was shot dead near his village Moosa on May 29. Moose Wala was an extremely popular Punjabi rap artist who contested the recent Punjab Assembly elections on behalf of the Congress. 

Police sources say Mannu Kussa, one of the gangsters shot on Wednesday, had fired the first shots at Moose Wala. 

Police from three states — Punjab, Delhi and Mumbai — are investigating Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder. Media reports say Moose Wala’s murder was allegedly orchestrated by Satinder Singh alias Gody Brar, who is based out of Canada. Brar coordinated with Lawrence Bishnoi, a gangster incarcerated at New Delhi’s Tihar jail. 

Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder led to severe criticism of the newly-elected Punjab government. The Aam Aadmi Party government led by Bhagwant Mann had altered the security detail of Sidhu Moose Wala the day before he was shot dead. AAP’s move was an apparent attempt to cut down on “VIP culture”.