Moose Wala shot dead day after security downgrade
Punjab Police claim gang rivalry behind singer-Cong leader’s murder, SIT formed
Nobody involved will be spared. I appeal to everyone to stay calm. BHAGWANT MANN, Punjab CM
@AAPPunjab govt has lost moral authority. It must be dismissed. AMARINDER SINGH RAJA WARRING, Punjab Cong chief
MANSA: Congress leader and Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu (28), better known by his stage name Sidhu Moose Wala, was shot dead in Mansa on Sunday, a day after his security was scaled down by the state police. Police said that the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and a Canadabased gangster have claimed responsibility for the attack.
The incident took place a day after Punjab withdrew the security of 424 people, including Moose Wala. The popular singer was earlier protected by four armed personnel; the cover was scaled down to two armed guards.
According to the police, the attack took place around 5.30 pm when Moose Wala, along with his cousin Gurpreet Singh and friend Gurwinder Singh, was driving in a jeep to Jawaharke village in Mansa. Moose Wala’s SUV was intercepted by two vehicles and it was sprayed with about 30 rounds of bullets. He was found slumped on his seat and bleeding heavily. He was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.
Addressing a press conference, Punjab director general of police VK Bhawra said Moose Wala’s killing is a result of intergang rivalry, adding that Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang and Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar are involved. He said the murder seems to be in retaliation to Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera’s murder in Mohali last year as one of Moose Wala’s manager was named as a conspirator in the case.
He added that a three-member special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the matter.
“Moose Wala had four commandos from the Punjab Police, but two of them were withdrawn from his security temporarily due to Ghalughara Diwas (Operation Bluestar anniversary). He denied taking the two remaining commandos. He even had a private bulletproof vehicle but did not use it today,” said Bhawra.
‘30 rounds fired from at least three weapons’
IG, Faridkot range, PK Yadav, who is camping at Mansa, said an SIT comprising superintendent of police (SP-investigation), Mansa, Dharamvir Singh; DSP (investigation), Bathinda, Vishwajeet Singh; and CIA incharge, Mansa, Pirthpal Singh, has been formed. Police have also recovered vehicles used by the assailants and detained more than six persons. It is suspected the assailants fled in some other vehicle.
Mansa senior superintendent of police Gaurav Toora said: “We are searching the CCTV footage of the area to identify the assailants; we have got some leads. We have recovered around 30 empty rounds of 9 mm and .315 bore from the spot; even the use of an AK 47 is suspected, as at least three weapons were used. As of now, the number of assailants is not clear, but at least 6-7 persons were involved.”
Brought dead to hospital; cousin, friend critical
Chief medical officer, Mansa, Ranjit Rai said Moose Wala was brought dead to the hospital, while the other two injured have been referred to a hospital in Patiala as their condition remains critical.
The 28-year-old singer belonged to Moosa village near Mansa and has given several superhit songs over the last few years. The singer had faced criticism from several quarters for allegedly promoting gun culture in his songs and was also been booked for allegedly promoting violence through his song “Sanju’’. Moose Wala joined the Congress in December last year, and unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Punjab assembly elections from Mansa against Aam Aadmi Party’s Dr Vijay Singla.
After news of the incident spread, Moose Wala’s followers gathered in huge numbers outside the Mansa civil hospital raising slogans against the Punjab government for withdrawing police protection from the singer. They even tore the chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s posters installed near the civil hospital.
Mann, while expressing shock over Moose Wala’s “gruesome murder”, wrote on Twitter: “Nobody involved will be spared. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and his fans across the world. I appeal everyone to stay calm.” However, the Congress demanded dismissal of the AAP government in Punjab, and other political parties, including the BJP and SAD, also targeted the government as well as the AAP and its leaders for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
CHANDIGARH : Punjabi singer and Congress leader Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, aka Sidhu Moose Wala, had a fascination with guns, and, in a sad turn of events, met his end in a hail of bullets at Jawaharke village of Mansa district on Sunday.
The young rapper, who forayed into politics in the 2022 state polls in Punjab, was shot dead by unidentified assailants just two weeks before he was to turn 29. The audacious killing, which came a day after Moose Wala’s security was curtailed by the state government, has left his fans filled with shock and rage as many of them are now demanding justice for him. Moose Wala, whose songs had aggressive macho lyrics, was easily one of the most popular Punjabi singers across the globe, with a particular fan following among the youth. He had more than 10 million subscribers on YouTube and 7 million followers on Instagram.
Brush with controversies
Born in Mansa’s Moosa village, he shot to fame in a short span after he went to Canada in 2016 on a student visa, but soon developed a reputation of being controversy’s favourite child. His violent songs allegedly promoted gun culture and led to a string of criminal cases. His pages on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter often showed him carrying weapons or in the company of people flaunting firearms. His official YouTube channel logo at one time depicted a man dressed in black, with a covered face, carrying an AK-47 assault rifle.
Songs glorifying use of weapons
The singer had his first run-in with the law in February 2020 when he was booked under Sections 509 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 294 (reciting obscene songs) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code in Mansa district for promoting gun culture through a song titled ‘Panj Golian (five bullets). On May 4, he was booked again by the Barnala and Sangrur police for offences under the Disaster Management and Arms Act after videos showing him firing an Ak-47 rifle and a revolver at firing ranges during the coronavirus-induced lockdown went viral on social media.
After he got bail, Moose Wala released a song called “Sanju”, taking pride in the cases registered against him under the Arms Act, comparing himself with Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt who has once also been booked for the illegal possession of an assault rifle. The lyrics of his song went like this. “Ho channel’an te charcha jehi badhi judd gayi, Gabbru de na naal aa santali jud gayi”, (There is a lot of talk on channels, the young man has been associated with 47) the lyrics state.
Another stanza goes, “Gabru te case jehda, Sanjay Dutt te, Jatt utte case jehda Sanjay Dutt te (the young man faces the case that Sanjay Dutt faced, the Jatt faces the case that Sunjay Dutt faced.) The police then registered another case against him under the Arms Act and Sections 188 (disobedience to order) and 294 (obscene acts and songs) and 504 (provocation to break public peace) of the Indian Penal Code in July 2020 for glorifying the use of weapons and boasting about the FIRs through this song.
Unsuccessful foray into politics
Moose Wala, whose mother Charan Kaur got elected as sarpanch of their village four years ago, entered politics by joining the Congress on December 3, 2021, with just days to go for the state polls. Congress leaders, including then chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu party welcomed the “youth icon” with open arms, hoping to capitalise on his popularity.
The singer was fielded from Mansa seat and drew huge crowds, but the gambit failed to work. He lost by a hefty margin of 63,323 votes to AAP’s Dr vijay Singla, who was dropped by chief minister Bhagwant Mann from his cabinet last week over allegations of corruption.
The election defeat had left the singer sour and he released a song titled ‘Scapegoat’ last month, blaming ‘gaddar’ (traitors) for his defeat.
His fans were hopeful of him making a strong electoral comeback, but none expected this tragic turn. Moose Wala fell like his inspiration, American rapper Tupac Shakur, whose music he admired and who was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas in his mid-twenties.