Outcry in India as rapper Sidhu Moose Wala is gunned down in a hail of 24 bullets in hit ‘ordered by gangster’ just one day after government scaled back his security
- Murdered rapper Sidhu Moose Wala, 28, was hit by 24 bullets, sources claim
- The hip hop artist was in his car when he was shot by attackers on Sunday
- It comes as the government had scaled back his security just one day earlier
An Indian musician who died after being shot over the weekend was struck by 24 bullets, sources claim, as thousands today gathered to mourn the hip hop star at his cremation.
Sidhu Moose Wala, 28, was shot dead in his car by unidentified attackers in the northern state of Punjab on Sunday.
Police said the murder was linked to inter-gang rivalry, and that a Canada-based gangster known as Goldy Brar had claimed responsibility.
A day before the attack, the Punjab government had scaled back or lifted security cover for over 400 individuals, including Moose Wala, in a bid to clamp down on VIP culture, local media reports said.
Hindustan Times said while Moose Walla still had access to two armed guards (downgraded from the four he had before), the singer chose to travel without them on Sunday evening.
Sidhu Moose Wala, 28, was shot dead in his car by unidentified attackers in the northern state of Punjab on Sunday
Supporters and fans of Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala, whose real name is Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, gather for his funeral in Mansa district of India’s Punjab state on Tuesday
According to health officials with access to the singer’s autopsy report, Moose Wala – whose real name is Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu – was hit with bullets 24 times, BBC Punjabi reports.
Six people have been detained in connection to the killing, according to ANI news agency.
Crowds thronged Moose Wala’s hearse as it reached the rapper’s house in his native village of Moosa in Punjab.
Thousands then lined the roads as his body was taken for cremation on a trolley decorated with flowers and pulled by a tractor – reportedly the singer’s favourite one.
Moose Wala’s murder over the weekend shocked fans at home and in Punjabi communities from Canada to Britain.
Moose Wala’s murder over the weekend shocked fans at home and in Punjabi communities from Canada to Britain. The rapper pictured in London last year
Moose Wala was also a controversial figure, and was often criticised for promoting gun culture through his music videos, in which he regularly posed with firearms
Youths and supporters paid tribute to the late Punjabi singer during a candlelight vigil in Amritsar on Monday
The artist was killed while driving his car in Mansa. He was rushed to the hospital, and declared dead.
Viral video showed what is understood to be the aftermath of the attack, featuring a bullet-battered black vehicle with smashed windows.
The seats could also be seen covered in blood, Hindustan Times reports.
Moose Wala rose to fame with catchy songs that attacked rival rappers and politicians, hitting the music scene in 2017.
Community pride and the gunning down enemies were big themes explored in his songs.
His work also led him to politics and last year the rapper joined India’s Congress Party, unsuccessfully running in the state’s assembly elections.
Moose Wala rose to fame with catchy songs that attacked rival rappers and politicians, hitting the music scene in 2017
Community pride and the gunning down enemies were big themes explored in his songs. Pictured in 2021
Punjab’s chief minister Bhagwant Mann said ‘no culprit will be spared’ and that he was deeply shocked and saddened by the killing.
Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress leader, took to Twitter to express his condolences over the killing.
‘Deeply shocked and saddened by the murder of promising Congress leader and talented artist,’ he said.
Moose Wala was a big star not just in India but also abroad, especially in Canada and Britain, which is home to large Punjabi-origin communities.
Bollywood actors and Indian politicians paid tribute, as did hip hop star Drake, who posted a photo of Moose Wala and his mother with the message ‘RIP Moose’.
In Canada, rapper Gursewak Dhillon said Moose Wala had ‘revolutionised Punjabi music’ in the country.
In Canada, rapper Gursewak Dhillon said Moose Wala had ‘revolutionised Punjabi music’ in the country
He told The Globe and Mail newspaper: ‘Before Sidhu, people used to look to India and the UK for the freshest Punjabi music. After his rise, Canada became the centre of the industry.’
‘There are many young kids in Canada for whom he is a trailblazer.’
Moose Wala was also a controversial figure, and was often criticised for promoting gun culture through his music videos, in which he regularly posed with firearms.
He had police cases registered against him for his songs titled ‘Panj Golian’ (‘Five bullets’) and ‘Sanju’, The Hindustan Times reported.
‘Sanju’ was inspired by Bollywood bad-boy superstar Sanjay Dutt, who was jailed for the illegal possession of an assault rifle.
He had police cases registered against him for his songs titled ‘Panj Golian’ (‘Five bullets’) and ‘Sanju’, The Hindustan Times reported
Moose Wala’s final song, ‘The Last Ride’, included the line ‘the glow on the man’s face tells you that he’ll die young’ – in an homage to American rapper Tupac Shakur, who was shot dead in his car in 1996, aged just 25.
Moose Wala’s murder has also put the spotlight on the dark underbelly of Punjab, a major transit route for drugs entering India from Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Many observers link the narcotics trade – mostly heroin and opium – to an uptick in gang-related violence and the use of illegal arms in the state.
According to media reports, some of the dozens of gangs active in Punjab have been demanding protection money from rappers and even buying into music companies.
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