A year after the brutal killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, his legacy continues and so does the controversy around his death. At the peak of his musical career, Moose Wala was gunned down exactly a year to this day by six armed shooters barely some kilometres from his house in Mansa district. Even as his fans continue to mourn his death, the distraught parents are yet to accept claims that justice has been served.
On his death anniversary, hundreds have converged at his ancestral Moosa village to remember him. Notwithstanding the controversy sparked off by his songs, based mostly on contentious issues, the fans have been streaming into his village to remember him on his first death anniversary.
On Sunday, a remembrance event was held at Jawahar Ke Village, an exact spot where he was killed by sharp shooters. The parents are yet to recover from the tragedy and have been seeking justice for his young son. “Efforts are being made to defame Sidhu Moose Wala even after his demise. How come the shooters with high-tech weapons roamed freely in the area from May 24 to May 29? Why the police have not acted against the persons mentioned in our complaint?” questioned his mother Charan Kaur.
His father Balkaur Singh and mother have not left their pursuit for justice despite the Punjab Police claims on having cracked the case.
The two even have approached politicians from outside of India and organisations in the UK and Canada for building up pressure for a fair probe. They even held protests outside the Punjab Assembly and raised the issue during the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-polls.
Even though the investigation into Moose Wala’s murder is open, the Punjab Police has zeroed in on jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi as the kingpin of the violent conspiracy. While reacting to the parents’ claims that those arrested were just ‘pawns’, and there are ‘big players’ of the Punjabi music industry involved in the murder, the police have so far limited the killing to the gangster connection only.
“Unless there are tangible evidences to suggest that some singers are involved, as alleged by the parents, we cannot move in that direction,” said an officer.
But both Charan and Balkaur are unrelenting. “The arrests have been a cover up. They have failed to unravel the whole conspiracy. My son was killed in the prime of his youth. The police claim to have arrested many and killed two shooters in an encounter also. But they have been unable to answer the questions we have raised,” said Charan Kaur.
What has fuelled the allegations of some singers and musicians being involved in the conspiracy was a recent video, which showed Anmol Bishnoi, younger brother of Lawrence — wanted in Moosewala killing — at a live show of Punjabi singer Karan Aujla. The singer has rubbished reports of his involvement.
Police officials said of the 31 nominated accused, 25 have been arrested, two eliminated and four were absconding. The main conspirators Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria are in different jails. The sharp shooters — Priyavrat Fauji, Ankit Sersa, Deepak Mundi and Kashish — are in Bathinda Jail while two others Jagrrop Roopa and Mannu Kussa were killed in a police encounter.
The police are still on the lookout for gangster Goldy Brar, who as per the FIR, had planned and supervised the killing. Believed to be hiding in Canada, a Red Corner Notice (RCN) has been issued against him. The Canada Police has also noticed him as one of the top 25 most wanted criminals in the country. Also wanted are Anmol Bishnoi, Sachin Thapan Bishnoi and Joginder Joga.
And far away from the din caused by the investigation, Sidhu Moose Wala’s music continued to create ripples even after his death. Apart from his songs recorded before his death, two albums, released post killing, became instant hits recording millions of views.