Moose Wala, cops booked under Arms Act; arrest imminent

SANGRUR: Two weeks after Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala was booked by Sangrur and Barnala police after a video showing him firing an official assault rifle and a pistol/revolver was widely shared on social media, the police on Monday added provisions of the Arms Act in the first information reports (FIR).

“The case has been handed over to the SP, Punjab Bureau of Investigation, Gurmeet Singh, but before further probe, Sections 25, 29 and 30 of the Arms Act have been added in the FIRs,” said Sangrur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Garg.

Earlier, the cases were registered under Section 188 of the IPC and Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act at Dhanauala police station of Barnala and Dhuri Sadar police station of Sangrur.

“Under the Arms Act, it is a non-bailable offence and the accused will be arrested soon,” the SSP said.

Barnala SSP Sandeep Goel said that the police had also added Section 120-B of the IPC.

IN CROSSHAIRS OF CONTROVERSY

On May 4, Moose Wala triggered a new controversy when a video was shared on social media in which he was allegedly seen firing from an official assault rifle at a shooting range at Badbar village of Barnala district.

Some Punjab police personnel could be seen assisting the singer as he fired at the target from the official weapon.

Six policemen were placed under suspension by the Sangrur police chief.

Four people and five policemen were booked for violating curfew.

On May 5, in another video, of the singer surfaced where he was firing from a private pistol/ revolver at Ladda Kothi shooting range of Sangrur.

The police booked Moose Wala and six cops at Sadar Dhuri police station.

After the incidents, eight police personnel, including deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Daljit Singh Virk, Julkan police station house officer (SHO) Gurpreet Singh Bhinder and three assistant sub-inspectors, were suspended.

Inspector general of police (Patiala range) Jatinder Singh Aulakh had directed the police of both districts to depute SP-level officers to probe the case as a deputy superintendent of police (DSP-Home, Sangrur), Daljit Singh Virk, was also suspended in the case.