UPDATED:
JAWAHARKE, INDIA (CelebrityAccess) – Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala (born Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu), who had an extensive fan base in Canada, was gunned down while driving in his SUV near his ancestral village of Jawaharke in Punjab, Indian Police reported to the Vancouver Sun. Three people were shot in the incident and taken to the hospital, where Moose Wala was declared dead.
Punjab police have since arrested eight people in connection with this death, as reported by cbc.ca. The suspects have been taken into custody for “providing logistic support, conducting reconnaissance and harboring the shooters,” police stated in a news release on Tuesday (June 7). Police also said they have identified four shooters, all of whom remain large.
Police revealed that one of the suspects in custody had been trailing the rapper by pretending to be a fan and took selfies with Moose Wala minutes before his death. The suspect allegedly relayed information to the others that Moose Wala was not accompanied by his security personnel and was traveling in a non-bulletproof vehicle.
The Times of India reported that the Bhagwant Mann government called off Walla’s security detail just a day earlier.
“Cohesive efforts are being made to arrest the identified shooters and other accused persons involved in the crime,” said police in the news release.
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW – Published May 30, 2022
JAWAHARKE, INDIA (CelebrityAccess) – Pubjami rapper Sidhu Moose Wala (born Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu), who had an extensive fan base in Canada, was gunned down while driving in his SUV near his ancestral village of Jawaharke in Punjab, Indian Police reported to the Vancouver Sun. Three people were shot in the incident and taken to the hospital, where Moose Wala was declared dead.
The 28-year-old Ontario-based rapper with hits such as “Murder” and “Homicide” came to Canada as an international student and had an extensive fan base in the area. This isn’t just a loss for Punjabis; it’s a loss for Canadians,” said Gulzar Nanda, current Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective (PMRC) chair.
The Times of India reported that the Bhagwant Mann government called off Walla’s security detail just a day earlier. Police statements pointed to gangster activity and were investigating separate online claims of responsibility. The assailants arrived in two cars and used automatic weapons, spraying gunfire for over 10 minutes.
However, some online postings have alleged a political agenda. In recent elections, Moose Wala joined the Punjab Pradesh Congress political party and ran (unsuccessfully) for office against the current ruling party, Aam Aadmi.
“He has been controversial, but I think it’s really important to note that he has no criminal record. His only crime was being outspoken and rapping,” said Tarun Nayer to The Vancouver Sun, who has described the artist as the “Drake of Surrey” and is organizing the 5X Festival, an upcoming event in Surrey celebrating South Asian artists.
Moose Wala planned to embark on his Back 2 Business Canadian tour, scheduled to play the Pacific Coliseum on July 23, but tickets were delayed due to police concerns. Fans in several other Canadian cities could buy tickets to the tour, but the PNE decided to delay its sales.
Laura Ballance, a spokeswoman for the PNE, said to the Sun that the holdup was partly due to the size of the concert, which could have packed up to 12,000 people into the indoor venue within Hastings Park.
“We wanted to do a deeper dive into security to ascertain the full scale of public safety risks in consultation with police,” said Ballance. “As part of our security assessment for any large event, police look at our security plans — they may then tell us they want two or six officers on-site working with our in-house security team for the event. The PNE includes that cost in its contract with the show’s promoter. As a venue operator, your job is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best so that people who buy tickets can come and not have to worry,” said Ballance before the rapper’s murder.
