The Jalandhar police have named three high-profile men in kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian’s murder case.

They are Surjan Singh Chatha, chairman of North India Circle Style Kabaddi Association and a resident of Mohali; Sukhwinder Mann, former president of World Kabaddi Doping Committee; and Sarabjit Singh Sattha Thiara, owner of Royal Kings Kabaddi Club in the US.

The three were named in the case on July 14. Ambian was killed at a kabaddi tournament at Mallian Khurd village in Nakodar on March 14. Rivalry among various kabaddi associations is said to be behind the murder of Ambian, who had been getting key kabaddi players for his association to the chagrin of other bodies. 

His family had been demanding the inclusion of these names in the FIR. Their naming in the case in July remained a secret. It was only on Friday that the family came to know of it. The Jalandhar police continue to remain tightlipped on the issue.   

Mann, who lives in Canada, is also president of the National Kabaddi Federation of Ontario. Thiara resides in the US while Chatha is a resident of Mohali. Ambian was shot during a kabaddi tournament at Mallian Khurd village in Nakodar on March 14. The rivalry between kabaddi associations was said to be the reason behind Ambian’s murder. Notably, nine persons have been arrested and six have been nominated so far.

Jalandhar SSP Swarandeep Singh said, “The names of the three persons were nominated before I joined as the SSP. Information will be released after the probe.”

Angrej Singh, Ambian’s brother, said, “We had been demanding the inclusion of these names for a long time. We were unaware that they had been named in July and got to know it only on Friday. We hope that they are arrested soon.”

The FIR in the case was registered on March 14; nine arrests have been made so far.