E-Paper
Moose Wala killing: Centre ready for probe by NIA if Punjab government recommends it, says Sirsa
Sirsa said that the Punjab government should agree to hand over the probe into the killing of Sidhu Moose Wala to National Investigating Agency (NIA) as it has the best resources.
The Centre is ready for a probe by the central agencies, including the National Investigating Agency (NIA), into the killing of Sidhu Moose Wala if the Punjab government recommends it, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Sunday, a day after the singer-politician’s parents met Union home minister Amit Shah and demanded for the same.
“I want to make it clear that the central agencies cannot take over the probe without the approval of the state government,” Sirsa, who met the grieving parents at Moosa village on Sunday, said.
Sirsa said that the Punjab government should agree to hand over the probe to National Investigating Agency (NIA) as it has the best resources.
“If the government recommends, NIA will take over the probe as soon as possible. Home minister Amit Shah will soon talk with chief minister Bhagwant Mann on this matter,” he said.
On Saturday, the singer’s parents met Shah at the Chandigarh airport and demanded a probe by the NIA or any other central agencies into the killing of their son.
Sirsa said that downgrading of Moose Wala’s security by the state government was a big mistake.
“Murder shows that all the Punjab police including the intelligence wing failed. On the first day after the murder, Punjab DGP claimed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi is behind the murder but in the Punjab and Haryana high court, they submitted that he is not named accused in the case,” he added.
Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan also met the singer’s family. He said that the state investigation agencies have been directed to probe the case expeditiously and soon culprits will be put behind the bars. Cabinet minister Baljit Kaur and AAP MLA from Lambi Gurmeet Singh Khuddiaan also met the family.
A number of political leaders, actors and singers on Sunday visited slain the singer’s native village and expressed grief to the family.
They included former union minister and senior Congress leader Kumari Selja, BJP MP and singer Hans Raj Hans, actor Guggu Gill, singer and actor Nimrat Khaira and Surinder Shinda.
Selja said that Moose Wala was a multi-talented artist who achieved so much at a very young age with his talent and hard work. The singer’s untimely and sad demise was an irreparable loss to the music world, she added.
She said that Moose Wala’s murder was a living example of the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab.
