Who is gangster Sachin Bishnoi, who took credit for Sidhu Moosewala murder?

Sachin Bishnoi a.k.a Sachin Thappan, the main conspirator behind the murder of famous Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, hails from Punjab’s Fazilka and is a relative of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

Sachin Bishnoi claimed responsibility for Subhdeep Singh Sidhu alias Sidhu Moosewala's murder in a Facebook post two days after the Punjabi singer was shot dead in Punjab's Mansa district.

Sachin Bishnoi was extradited to India from Azerbaijan on Tuesday, a Delhi Police official said.

The extradition was carried out after a team from Delhi Police's Special Cell traveled to Azerbaijan to complete the necessary legal procedures.

In a Facebook post just two days after the fatal shooting of Moosewala on May 29, 2022, Sachin Bishnoi claimed responsibility for the murder, stating it was not a "publicity stunt" or "ransom," but because Moosewala allegedly supported and provided shelter to gangsters involved in the assassination of Vicky Middukhera, a leader of the Youth Akali Dal.

Vikramjit Singh, alias Vicky Middukhera, was brutally murdered on August 7, 2021, at a parking lot in Mohali. He had supported Bishnoi during his bid for student union President at DAV College in Sector 10 as the Vice President of the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU).

Sachin Bishnoi, who as per his social media profile is also a follower of Bajrang Bali, asserted that Moosewala's name had been linked to the Middukhera case, but no action was taken by the police, leading to their decision to take matters into their own hands.

His maternal uncle and gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who was interrogated by Delhi Police's Special Cell, also had alleged that Moosewala was involved in Vicky's killing, sparking a rivalry between them.

Earlier, after fleeing to Dubai with a fake passport under the name Tilak Raj Tuteja, Sachin was detained in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku in August last year. He since then had been fighting a legal battle in Azerbaijan to avoid extradition to India. However, his extradition request was rejected by the higher appellate body in Azerbaijan, prompting the Ministry of Home Affairs to proceed with bringing him back.

Sachin Bishnoi is also wanted for two similar assaults in Punjab and an extortion case in Delhi's Mohan Garden neighborhood, with red corner notices issued in all three instances.