Sitting HC judge to probe killing of Punjab singer Moose Wala

State government assures full cooperation in investigation of the murder

The Punjab Police are investigating the killing of a popular Punjabi rapper, who blended hip-hop, rap and folk music, a day after he was fatally shot, officials said on Monday.

Also on Monday, the state’s Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann requested the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court to get the case of Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder investigated by a sitting judge of the court, as demanded by the singer’s father. “CM announces to set up judicial commission under the sitting judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court to probe the killing,” the chief minister’s office tweeted.

CM Mann also assured full cooperation from the state government to the enquiry commission, including that from any of the central agencies like the National Investigation Agency.

This comes after Balkaur Singh, father of Moose Wala, wrote to Mann demanding that the case be investigated by a sitting judge of the high court.

Moose Wala, 28, was killed on Sunday evening while driving his car in Mansa, a district. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead.

CCTV footage that emerged on social media shows two cars trailing Moose Wala’s vehicle moments before he was shot dead in Mansa. The video, however, is not verified by the state police yet.

Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar reportedly claimed responsibility for Moose Wala’s murder in a Facebook post on Sunday evening. Goldy Brar is a close aide of gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi, who is also said to be involved in the rapper’s murder.

Over two dozen bullets, including one in the skull, were pumped into Moose Walla, sources said after a panel of five doctors concluded a post-mortem investigation on Monday, according to NDTV.

A day before the attack, the Punjab government had pulled security cover for over 400 individuals, including Moose Wala, in a bid to clamp down on VIP culture.

Moose Wala started off as a songwriter before a hit song in 2017 catapulted his singing career, making him well known among the Indian and Punjabi diaspora in countries like the United Kingdom and Canada.

Most of his singles have an English title even though the songs were mainly sung in Punjabi. His glossy music videos were most famous for his rap lyrics and often focused on macho culture. His debut album in 2018 made it to Canada’s Billboard Albums chart.

Moose Wala was a controversial figure, in part due to his lyrical style. In 2020, police charged him under India’s Arms Act for allegedly promoting gun culture in one of his songs.

His latest track, THE LAST RIDE, was released earlier this month.

The rapper joined India’s Congress Party last year and unsuccessfully ran in the state’s assembly elections.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to express his condolences over the killing. “Deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of promising Congress leader and talented artist,” he said.