‘Saw him fall to bullets’ — fearing threat, Moosewala’s father followed him with guards, says FIR

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has acceded to Balkar Singh’s request to set up a judicial commission to probe the daylight murder.

File photo of Punjabi singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moose Wala | Representational image | Twitter/@iSidhuMooseWala

New Delhi: Slain Punjabi singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala’s father witnessed his son “fall to a hail of bullets”, says the First Information Report (FIR) registered by Punjab Police.

According to PTI, the FIR states that Balkar Singh Sindhu, fearing a threat to his son, followed Moosewala with personally-hired guards Sunday, after the singer’s security cover was scaled down by the state government.

However, he could not prevent the daylight murder of his son at Mansa, the FIR read.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Monday ordered an inquiry into why Sidhu’s security had been reduced. He also acceded to Balkar Singh’s request to set up a judicial commission under the chairmanship of a sitting judge to probe the murder.

Condemning the murder, Mann said the state government would do everything in its power to book the perpetrators.

Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar has reportedly claimed responsibility for the killing. He is allegedly a close associate of gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi.

Moosewala contested the 2022 Punjab elections from Mansa on a Congress ticket, but lost to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s Vijay Singla.

The Congress said the family was being “forced to get the postmortem and last rights done soon”. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Warring said the police’s initial inference that Moose Wala’s death was a fallout of gang rivalry was an “insult to the family”.

He also questioned the government on why Moose Wala’s security was withdrawn when there was a threat to his life. “And, why was that decision made public?” he asked.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal Monday demanded the resignation of the Bhagwant Mann government for failing to curb crime in the state.

State BJP chief Ashwani Kumar Sharma said Chief Minister Mann was a puppet of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, “who neither knows Punjab nor its sensitivity”.

Sharma said: “The government reduced the security of 424 people and made that list public. Risking their security, just for applause. Such documents are confidential. Action should be taken against those who broke this rule. We also demand an independent National Investigation Agency probe.”