Punjab Congress delegation meets Governor; seeks NIA probe into Sidhu Moosewala's murder

On Wednesday, Punjab Congress leaders submitted a memorandum to Governor Banwarilal Purohit seeking an NIA probe in singer Sidhu Moosewala's murder. The delegation comprising Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Kuljit Singh Nagra apprised the Governor of the law and order situation in the state. Addressing the media later, Warring maintained that the life of Moosewala who unsuccessfully contested the Punjab Assembly polls could have been saved if the AAP government was more serious. 

He also referred to the fact that a person named Shahrukh had tried to kill the singer-cum-Congress leader earlier but was arrested by the police in the nick of time. Accusing AAP of scaling down the security of eminent persons for the sake of "fake publicity", he reiterated that the state government should be dismissed if the law and order situation keeps deteriorating. Moreover, he also demanded the registration of an FIR against the police officials who took the decision on downgrading the security of Moosewala. 

Lashing out at the AAP government, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring opined, "Bhagwant Mann doesn't know how to run the government. The government is being run by inexperienced persons in Delhi who wanted police under their jurisdiction. But they don't understand that this is a border state." 

The murder of Sidhu Moosewala

In a shocking development on May 29, singer-cum-Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the Jawahar Ke village. AAP came under fire for his murder as the state government reduced his security just a day earlier along with 423 other VIPs. Addressing a press conference, Punjab DGP VK Bhawra clarified that two police personnel from Commando Battalion were deployed with the singer but he didn't take them along while leaving the house. The assailants were booked under Sections 120B, 148, 149, 302, 307, 341 and 427 of the IPC and 25 and 27 of the Arms Act. 

Thereafter, an SIT comprising SP investigation Mansa Dharamveer Singh, DSP Investigation Bathinda Vishawajeet Singh and Incharge CIA Mansa Prithipal Singh was formed to ensure a speedy and effective probe. Meanwhile, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring dubbed it a political murder and demanded an investigation by the NIA or a sitting judge. He also called for the dismissal of the Bhagwant Mann-led government in the state. On Tuesday, the Punjab Police arrested a Faridkot resident who allegedly supplied vehicles to the assailants.