Mohali: 3 years on, trial begins in Vicky Middukhera murder case

Over three years after Youth Akali Dal leader Vikramjit Singh Middukhera, alias Vicky, was shot dead in Sector 71 on August 7, 2021, the trial into the sensational murder case has begun in a Mohali court.

Following framing of charges, prosecution witnesses have started testifying in the matter, with the next hearing scheduled on November 11.

The trial is underway against six people, including three shooters and three gangsters Bhupinder Singh, alias Bhuppi Rana, Amit Dagar and Kaushal Chaudhary, who are accused of conspiring the murder on the directions of Armenia-based gangster Gaurav Patial, alias Lucky Patial.

Rival of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Patial leads the Davinder Bambiha gang since the gangster’s death in a police encounter in 2016.

According to police, Middukhera was very close to the Bishnoi gang since his school and college days in Chandigarh, making him a target of the gang’s rivals.

Less than a year after Middukhera’s murder, the Bishnoi gang shot dead Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala in May 2022, terming it an act of revenge. According to the Bishnoi gang, Moose Wala was involved in that murder, though police probe has not pointed to the singer’s role.

Charges framed against six

Last month, the court of additional district and sessions judge Baljinder Singh Sra had framed charges against the three gangsters and three shooters – Anil Kumar, alias Latth; Sajjan Singh, alias Bholu; and Ajay Kumar, alias Sunny.

They are facing charges under Sections 302 (murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 25 of the Arms Act.

As per police chargesheet, it was Amit Dagar and Kaushal Chaudhary, who conspired the murder on Patial’s directions and hired four sharpshooters – Anil, Sajjan, Ajay and one Somvir, who remains at large.

The police chargesheet, however, does not name Patial and Shagunpreet Singh, Moose Wala’s manager, who allegedly arranged the stay of the shooters at a flat in Kharar after picking them up from Sohana a day before Middukhera’s murder.

Singh is currently residing in Australia. Mohali police have requested Australian authorities to cancel his visa and also written to the regional passport officer, Chandigarh, to revoke his passport. As per police, a supplementary charge sheet will be filed once they are arrested.

Five accused still out of police reach

Three years after the gruesome murder, five accused remain out of police’s grasp.

Apart from gangster Lucky Patial, the fourth shooter, Somvir, and Shagunpreet Singh; Ravinder Chauhan, who allegedly arranged a car, SIM card and weapons from Yamunanagar for the murder and gangster Dharmander Gogni, who was also involved in the murder conspiracy, continue to evade arrest.

Ajaypal Singh Middukhera, elder brother of Vicky Middukhera, said, “It is unfortunate that Mohali police failed to nab the fourth shooter. He is a major threat to my life too. He is from Mohali, but police have failed to trace him.”

Middukhera sustained 12 bullets in broad daylight attack

Ever since joining Panjab University in 2009, Vicky Middukhera remained a proactive student politician on the campus for nearly a decade and played a pivotal role in strengthening the Student Organization of India, student wing of the SAD.

Until 2020, he was in charge of SOI’s Chandigarh unit. He had actively campaigned for the SAD in the assembly and parliamentary elections as well. Before joining the SOl, he was with the SOPU and became its state president in 2013. In 2011, he had announced Lawrence Bishnoi’s name as the president of Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU).

On August 7, 2021, Middukhera was about to sit in his SUV after visiting the office of a property dealer in Sector 71 around 10.30 am, when two masked men chased him and fired multiple shots at him.

Middukhera had ran for his life for about 500 metres amid raining bullets and had even managed to scale the wall of the Sector 71 community centre for cover, but could not survive. He used to carry a licensed pistol in his vehicle, but did not get a chance to grab it. He had sustained 12 bullet injuries and died on the spot.

In March 2022, the murder case was cracked by the counter-intelligence unit of Delhi Police after the arrest of 12 gangsters aligned with the Davinder Bambiha gang, including the three shooters, following a month-long operation spanning seven states in the country.

Until then, while the Mohali police had formed two special investigation teams and questioned over 50 gangsters and 32 witnesses, they had failed to arrest any accused.

After the arrest of the three shooters, the Mohali police had recovered the Hyundai i20 car used in the crime and four pistols, along with eight cartridges.