Sidhu Moose Wala’s father demands CBI, NIA probe into singer’s murder

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann has agreed to an inquiry into murder by sitting judge of Punjab and Haryana high court

Balkaur Singh, the father of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, who was shot dead on Sunday, has written to chief minister Bhagwant Mann, demanding an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the National Investigation Agency.

Charan Kaur, the mother of Sidhu Moose Wala, and other family members at the Mansa Civil Hospital, where the singer was declared dead on Sunday evening. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

Demanding justice, the singer’s father wrote to chief minister Bhagwant Mann that due to the failure of the Aam Aadmi Party government the family has lost Shubhdeep Singh, popular as Moose Wala. “His mother still asks me where is Shubhdeep and when he will come back. What should I say? I hope our family gets justice,” Balkaur Singh wrote.

Apart from an inquiry by a sitting Punjab and Haryana high court judge, he said that the involvement of the CBI and NIA must be ensured in the investigation of his son’s murder. “The responsibility of the officers who accessed the security of my son and those who made order of withdrawal of his security public must be fixed. My son has made Punjab proud with his success, but the DGP presented his murder as result of gang war. The DGP must apologise publicly,” he said.

A sitting judge of the high court will probe the killing, Bhagwant Mann has decided. The government will also investigate the decision to curtail Moose Wala’s security. A special investigation team has already been set up to investigate the murder.

Punjab Police have registered an FIR against unknown persons after Sidhu Moose Wala was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Jawahar Ke village of Mansa district. The FIR has been registered under Sections 302, 307, and 341 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at City-1 at Mansa police station.

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

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

Punjab Police so far has said that preliminary investigation shows it to be an inter-gang rivalry. The incident occurred a day after Punjab Police withdrew the security cover of 424 people, including Moose Wala who had contested the Punjab assembly elections in February on a Congress ticket from Mansa and was defeated by AAP candidate Dr Vijay Singla. Dr Singla was sacked by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann from his cabinet over charges of corruption recently.