Punjabi singer, friend shot at, 2 gangsters claim credit
MOHALI: Popular Punjabi singer Parmish Verma, 31, and his friend, Kulwant Singh Chahal were shot at in Mohali at 12.30am on Saturday when they were returning from an event in Chandigarh. Police rushed the two to Fortis Hospital, where they were said to be stable and out of danger. The hospital statement said Parmish was injured in the knee.
“Parmish and Kulwant sustained a bullet injury each in the leg. We recovered six cartridges from a .315-bore gun,” senior superintendent of police Kuldeep Singh Chahal said.
Parmish is the son of Satish Kumar Verma, a former professor of Punjabi at Punjabi University, Patiala, and shot to fame with the hit, ‘Gaal ni kadni (Don’t abuse)’, that has been viewed 118 million times on YouTube. Released last year, the popularity of the song coincides with the state police’s crackdown on gangsters. His single, Shada, has got 27 million views on YouTube since its release three weeks ago. Parmish’s father has written songs for legendary Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan and is also a playwright and theatre director.
Parmish was driving his black Toyota Fortuner to his house in Savitry Towers, Sector 91, Mohali, and Kulwant was seated beside him. Police said a white Hyundai Creta was following them from Elante Mall.
Parmish, who was accompanied by two bouncers from Elante, had dropped them off at Homeland Heights crossing minutes before the incident. The Creta intercepted Parmish’s vehicle at the entrance of Sector 74, Mohali, en route to Verma’s apartment. A man alighted and fired the six bullets.
MOTIVE A MYSTERY
Police said that the motive was unclear though two Punjab gangsters had claimed responsibility.
Gangster Dilpreet Singh Dhahan posted a message on Facebook along with a picture of himself holding a pistol and another of Verma with a cross on it. “Mein Dilpreet Singh Dhahan sariya nu dasna chaunda k ajj Parmish Verma de goliya bazian apa mariya. (I, Dilpreet Singh Dhahan, want to tell everyone that I’m behind the shooting of Parmish Verma),” said the post, the first on his Facebook profile this year. Dilpreet had threatened Parmish in April, too.
The police said another gangster, Sampat Nehra, also claimed responsibility. “These claims could be to mislead investigation but the involvement of gangsters can’t be ruled out,” the SSP said.
Police officials privy to investigation said Dilpreet had been making extortion calls to Parmish. Police have rounded up four people for questioning but no arrests were made till the filing of the report. The police have procured CCTV footage of incident .
PARMISH, WHO SHOT TO FAME WITH HIS SONG ‘GAAL NI KADNI’ IS THE SON OF EXPUNJABI UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR SATISH KUMAR VERMA
MOHALI : Now a well-known face in the Punjabi pop industry, with hits like ‘Gaal ni kaddni’ and ‘Shada’, Parmish Verma, 31, a Patiala-born boy, has risen to the top after a lot of struggle.
After dropping out of a hotel management course in Sydney, Australia, Parmish returned to India in 2008 and started pursuing his passion — singing and making videos.
He appeared in Punjab Bolda, a 2011 Punjabi movie, and initially directed videos for newcomers trying to find their feet in the Punjabi music industry. He became popular after his videos for singer-turned-actor Ninja did well. He played the role of an angry villain in these videos.
His big break came with the video “Zimmewari Bhukh Te Doori”, the story of an adolescent boy. In the video, Verma describes his struggle in Australia and also talks about the advice that Gurikk Maan, son of legendary Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan, gave to him. The Verma family is close to the Maans.
Showcasing the struggles that Punjabi boys face while trying to settle abroad and earning their livelihood by doing odd jobs is a subject close to Verma. He often refers to his days in Australia in videos. With numerous hits to his credit, Verma has also opened his own production house -- Parmish Verma Films. His tie-up and friendship with music composer duo ‘Desi Crew’ has made them a successful team.
A gym enthusiast, Verma is open about his personal life on social media and takes to Snapchat regularly and has a huge following on Instagram.
FATHER IS A RETIRED PROFESSOR
He completed his schooling from Yadavindra Public School, Patiala, and has a younger brother. He is son of Dr Satish Verma, a retired professor from Punjabi department of Punjabi University.
Verma’s family belongs to Sunam (district Sangrur). They moved to Patiala when his father got posted in Patiala. His father, Satish Kumar Verma is also a theatre director and playwright. Parmish worked as a child artist in his father’s plays.
His father is well-known in the state’s literary circles and is the master of ceremonies at most events.