Assassination of Sidhu Moose Wala explained
Indian musician Sidhu Moose Wala was shot dead by unidentified assailants in his car on 29 May 2022 in Jawaharke village of Mansa at age of 28. According to police, Lawrence Bishnoi's gang initially claimed responsibility for the murder in an unverified Facebook post, which Bishnoi denied making,[1] and he was being held by the Punjab Police and was considered the "mastermind" of the murder by officials.[2] [3]
Assassination
According to police, at around 5:10pm, Moose Wala left his house with his cousin Gurpreet Singh and neighbour Gurwinder Singh. Moose Wala was driving his black Mahindra Thar SUV to his aunt's house in Barnala. At 5:30pm when the SUV reached Jawaharke, two other cars intercepted and blocked it. Thirty rounds were fired during the incident, which also injured two other men.[4] Moose Wala fired back at the attackers using his pistol. After the shootout, the attackers left the scene. His father took Moose Wala to the civil hospital in Mansa, where he was declared dead.
Moose Wala was among the 424 people whose police security was reduced or entirely removed the day before, in preparation for the anniversary of Operation Blue Star, leaving him with two commandos instead of the earlier four.[5] [6] At the time of the incident, Moose Wala was travelling in his private car accompanied by two others instead of his bullet-proof vehicle with the commandos.[7] [8] According to his friends, Moose Wala did not take his security along with him, as his Thar SUV could not accommodate five people.[9]
Aftermath
According to police, the Bishnoi gang claimed they killed Moose Wala to avenge the murder of an Akali leader, Vicky Middukhera, in 2021. Moose Wala's aide was purported by the Bishnoi gang of having a role in the killing of Middukhera, though there is no legal evidence to support this.[10] Canadian gangster of Punjabi origin Satinder Singh Goldy Brar claimed responsibility for the murder. Brar, a close associate of Bishnoi, claimed that his "Punjab module" carried out the shooting. Both Brar and Bishnoi have criminal cases against them in India. The Punjab Police later confirmed Bishnoi's involvement.[11] [12] [13]
According to the police report, Moose Wala's father revealed that Moose Wala had been receiving death threats from gangsters for extortion purposes, a statement corroborated by singer Mika Singh.[14]
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the murder. Calling Moose Wala "a cultural icon of Punjab", he expressed shock and grief about his death and condoled the aggrieved family.[15] Mann ordered an investigation into why Moose Wala's security was reduced by the Punjab Police two days prior. He also announced the setting up of a judicial commission headed by a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to investigate the killing.[16] Numerous celebrities offered their condolences on social media.[17] [18]
Police found bullets from an AN-94 Russian assault rifle and a pistol at the spot of the killing. Police had detained six suspects of the incident from the state of Uttarakhand.[19] On 30 May, one of the murder suspects was detained by the Punjab Police while he was hiding among the pilgrims of Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib.[20]
On 30 May, the Delhi unit of the INC staged a protest near AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's residence holding the AAP-ruled Government of Punjab responsible for the incident, blaming their decision to curtail Moose Wala's security cover.[21] [22]
His autopsy was carried out by five doctors, and the event was videographed. According to post mortem reports, Moose Wala received 19 bullet injuries, and he died within 15 minutes of being shot due to the wounds.[23]
Moose Wala was cremated in his ancestral village on 31 May. His last rites were performed on his farmland.[24] [25]
On 3 June, Bishnoi allegedly admitted to being involved in the murder and that he had a rivalry with Moose Wala.[26] [27] On 8 June, a bhog ceremony was arranged in Mansa.[28] On 3 July, Ankit Sirsa was arrested by Delhi police for being one of the shooters involved in the killing.[29] On 20 July, gangsters Manpreet Mannu and Jagrup Rupa, suspected of involvement in Moose Wala's killing, were gunned down by the Punjab Police.[30] On 26 July, India TV reported that Punjab Police arrested the last absconding shooter, Deepak Mundi.[31] However, The Indian Express reported that he was arrested on 11 September near the Bengal-Nepal border.
Politics
Before the Sangrur Lok Sabha by-election in 2022, the INC had used pictures of Moose Wala in its election song. The family of Moose Wala made a public appeal to political parties and individuals, asking them to not use his name for political or personal motives. The move was also criticised by the Aam Aadmi Party.[32]
Notes and References
- News: Sengar . Mukesh Singh . Achom . Debanish . 1 June 2022 . Gangster Linked To Sidhu Moose Wala's Murder Not Cooperating: Sources . NDTV . 15 June 2022.
- News: Sidhu Moose Wala Case: Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi is mastermind, say officials . 15 June 2022 . Economic Times . 9 June 2022.
- News: How did Lawrence Bishnoi mastermind Sidhu Moosewala's killing from jail? . 15 June 2022 . IANS . Tribune India . 12 June 2022.
- News: Goswami . Sohini . 29 May 2022 . Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala shot dead day after govt withdrew his security . Hindustan Times . 29 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530135151/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/punjabi-singer-sidhu-moosewala-shot-dead-in-firing-incident-in-mansa-district-101653828722161.html . live .
- News: 29 May 2022 . Punjabi singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala shot dead in Mansa . The Indian Express . 29 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530135109/https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/amritsar/punjabi-singer-congress-leader-sidhu-moose-wala-shot-dead-7942590/ . live.
- News: Mateen . Zoya . 30 May 2022 . Sidhu Moose Wala: Murder of popular Indian singer sparks anger . BBC News . 30 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530110041/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61629130 . live .
- News: Sidhu Moosewala Shot Dead: The Singer Was Not in His Usual Bullet-Proof Car, Say Sources 10 Facts . 29 May 2022 . News18 . 29 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530135110/https://www.news18.com/news/india/punjabi-singer-sidhu-moosewala-shot-at-rushed-to-hospital-in-critical-condition-5270287.html . live .
- News: Sidhu Moosewala had 2 security personnel, private bulletproof vehicle; he travelled without them: Punjab DGP Bhawra . The Tribune . 29 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220531002557/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/sidhu-moosewala-murder-punjab-dgp-vk-bhawra-says-sit-to-be-formed-to-probe-case-399284 . 31 May 2022 . bot: unknown . 31 May 2022 .
- News: Ghazali . Mohammed . Kumar . Akhil . How Sidhu Moose Wala Was Killed - The Chilling Details . 1 June 2022 . NDTV . 1 June 2022.
- News: Singer Sidhu Moose Wala Shot 30 Times, Then Killers Did A Check: Sources . 30 May 2022 . NDTV . 30 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530135111/https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/singer-sidhu-moose-wala-shot-30-times-then-killers-did-a-check-sources-3021402 . live .
- News: 29 May 2022 . Canada-Based Gangster Responsible for Fatal Attack on Sidhu Moose Wala: Police . 29 May 2022 . TheQuint . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530135112/https://www.thequint.com/news/india/canada-based-gangster-goldy-brar-takes-responsibility-for-sidhu-moose-walas-murder . live .
- News: Who is Goldy Brar? Know about Canada-based gangster believed to be behind Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala's murder . 29 May 2022 . Free Press Journal . 29 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530184108/https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/who-is-goldy-brar-know-about-canada-based-gangster-believed-to-be-behind-punjabi-singer-sidhu-moosewalas-murder . live .
- News: 29 May 2022 . Canada-based gangster takes responsibility for killing Moosewala . 29 May 2022 . IANS . Deccan Herald . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530184110/https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/canada-based-gangster-takes-responsibility-for-killing-moosewala-1113548.html . live.
- News: Sidhu Moose Wala Received Threats, Including From Bishnoi Gang, Father Mentions In FIR . 30 May 2022 . ABP News . 30 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530184109/https://news.abplive.com/news/india/sidhu-moose-wala-murder-singer-received-threats-including-from-bishnoi-gang-mentions-father-in-fir-key-developments-1534556 . live .
- News: CM Bhagwant Mann 'shocked' by Sidhu Moosewala's murder, says guilty will not be spared . 1 June 2022 . Tribune . 30 May 2022 . en.
- News: CM announces to set up judicial commission under sitting HC judge to probe killing of Sidhu Moosewala . 30 May 2022 . Tribune . 30 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530135551/https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/cm-announces-to-set-up-judicial-commission-under-sitting-hc-judge-to-probe-killing-of-sidhu-moosewala-399509 . live .
- Sidhu Moosewala Death: Drake, Varun Dhawan, Vicky Kaushal And Others Express Grief . 1 June 2022 . Outlook . 30 May 2022.
- News: Sidhu Moose Wala death: Ajay Devgn, Kapil Sharma, Shehnaaz Gill, Esha Gupta mourn late singer's demise . 1 June 2022 . DNA . 30 May 2022.
- News: Gupta . Rohit . 30 May 2022 . AN-94 Russian rifle used to kill Sidhu Moose Wala, know how it was brought in Punjab; License detail & more . 30 May 2022 . True Scoop News.
- News: Sengar . Mukesh Singh . Achom . Debanish . 30 May 2022 . Singer Sidhu Moose Wala Murder: Suspect, Hiding Among Pilgrims, Detained . NDTV . 30 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530135542/https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/singer-sidhu-moose-wala-murder-case-suspect-arrested-in-uttarakhand-was-hiding-among-pilgrims-3022201 . live .
- News: Joshi . Poorva . Delhi Congress stages protest near CM's residence, holds AAP responsible for Sidhu Moose Wala's killing . 30 May 2022 . India TV News . 30 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530135544/https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/sidhu-moose-wala-killing-delhi-congress-protest-aam-aadmi-party-arvind-kejriwal-bhagwant-mann-2022-05-30-780463 . live .
- News: PTI . Delhi Cong stages protest holds AAP responsible for Moosewala's killing . 30 May 2022 . The Week . 30 May 2022 . 30 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530135548/https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2022/05/30/des4-dl-singer-cong-protest.html . live .
- News: Ghazali . Mohammed . Sidhu Moose Wala Had 19 Bullet Marks, Death Within 15 Mins: Autopsy Report . 2 June 2022 . NDTV . 2 June 2022.
- News: Chakravarty . Shonakshi . Achom . Debanish . Singer Sidhu Moose Wala's Father's Moving Gesture After Cremation . 31 May 2022 . NDTV . 31 May 2022.
- News: On The Last Ride, thousands bid adieu to Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala . 12 June 2022 . Tribune . 31 May 2022.
- News: Ghosh . Poulomi . 3 June 2022 . Lawrence Bishnoi admits his gang had rivalry with Sidhu Moose Wala: Report . 3 June 2022 . Hindustan Times.
- News: 3 June 2022 . Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi accepts his role in Moosewala killing . 3 June 2022 . Tribune.
- News: ANI . Hundreds Gather During Sidhu Moose Wala's 'Bhog' Ceremony In Punjab . 8 August 2022 . NDTV . 8 June 2022.
- News: Sidhu Moosewala killing: Deadliest shooter Ankit Sirsa who fired with both hands among 2 held by Delhi police . 20 July 2022 . Tribune . 5 July 2022.
- News: Rana. Yudhveer. 20 July 2022. Sidhu Moose Wala killer was shot dead by the Punjab Police. The Times of India. 20 July 2022.
- News: Joshi . Poorva . Sidhu Moose Wala killing: Deepak Mundi, sixth and last absconding shooter arrested in Amritsar . 29 July 2022 . . 26 July 2022 . en.
- News: Don't use Sidhu Moosewala's name for political or personal motives, appeals his family . 14 June 2022 . Tribune . 14 June 2022.