Punjab Police crack singer Issapuria's blind murder case; one arrested

Chandigarh, Dec 15 (PTI) Punjab Police on Friday said it has solved a blind murder case of singer Navjot Singh Virk, popularly known as Issapuria, with the arrest of one person.

Issapuria was murdered in May 2018 in Punjab’s Dera Bassi.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), SAS Nagar, Sandeep Kumar Garg said the accused has been identified as Abhishek alias Rajat Rana (25), a resident of Umarpur village in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli District.

Another accused identified as Saurav of Sultanpur Barwala, who was involved in this murder has already died, purportedly because of a drug overdose, the SSP said.

A 9 mm pistol which was used to commit the murder has already been recovered by the Raipur Rani Police of Haryana.

SSP Garg said this is a case of May 2018, when Abhishek along with his accomplice Saurav targeted Issapuria to snatch his car. They shot him dead following heated arguments.

The body of the budding singer was recovered by his family members from a vacant plot of Usha Yarn Factory after spotting his car at Barwala Road, he added.

The SSP said that following the incident, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by SP Investigation Amandeep Singh Brar was formed to investigate the case.

The SIT comprised Deputy Superintendent of Police Gursher Singh and another police official as its members.

The investigation revealed that the accused persons were working for the UP-based Rahul Khatta gang, and the motive behind the murder was to snatch the car from the slain singer allegedly to commit another crime, he said.

Abhishek has a criminal record and he has been facing at least seven criminal cases pertaining to murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, etc. PTI