Punjab: Case filed against Moosewala, 8 others, including 5 cops

Acting swiftly against controversial Punjabi pop singer Sidhu Moosewala, the Barnala police on Monday registered a criminal case against him and eight others, including five police personnel, after a video showing the singer shooting at a firing range went viral on social media.




The case was registered on the directions of Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta, who also ordered immediate suspension of DSP (Headquarters Sangrur) Daljit Singh Virk, pending an inquiry on the charge of delinquency in duty.

After the video went viral, the DGP directed the Sangrur SSP to conduct a preliminary inquiry, which prima facie established that the DSP had facilitated the shooting at the firing range at Badbar village, at a time when the entire state is under curfew. On the receipt of the report, a departmental inquiry was initiated against the DSP and cases were registered against the accused.

The DGP took a stern view of the DSP’s act of deputing police personnel attached with him at the shooting range unauthorisedly, and acting in a manner unbecoming of an officer.

A criminal case was registered under Section 188 of the IPC and Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act at Dhanaula police station in Barnala district against Sidhu Moosewala and eight others, including five police officers. All the police officers are posted in Sangrur district and further investigations are in progress, an official spokesperson of the police department said.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Police Headquarters has moved a reference to the state home department for initiating a departmental inquiry against DSP Daljit Singh Virk, the spokesperson added.