Prateek Tanmay
On May 29, 2022, the world of Punjabi music was shaken to its core. Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu — known to millions as Sidhu Moosewala — left his home in village Moosa with two acquaintances, Gurwinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh. He never came back.
A Bolero intercepted the car, armed men from both vehicles surrounded him and opened fire. The 28-year-old singer was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Mansa, where he was declared dead on arrival. An FIR was registered that same day in which his father Balkaur Singh narrated the incident as eyewitness.
What unfolded over the past four years is one of the most complex criminal trials. The case involves 38 accused in total, and the District and Sessions Court has so far conducted 59 hearings. The sheer scale of the alleged conspiracy — spanning gangsters, foot soldiers, informants, alleged political connections, and even individuals based abroad — makes it unlike any other case the state has seen.
The accused
Of the total 34 formally chargesheeted, the police have arrested 29. Of the remaining, Anmol Bishnoi, who was arrested by the NIA, is yet to be taken into custody by the Mansa police. While 26 accused are currently lodged in jails across India, two were declared innocent during police investigation. Four accused have died since the case began. And six accused remain at large, still evading arrest — among them Goldie Brar, Lipan, Nehra, Komur, Grewal, Jyoti, Pander, and Jeevan Jyot.
At the fourth death anniversary gathering at Moosa village, a visibly angry Balkaur slammed both the Punjab government and the Centre. “You know well what they have done to my family. They didn’t just take away my son’s body but now they are trying to kill his legacy too. I had asked for a narco test on the accused and if your law doesn’t permit it, then release them,” he said, adding that pressure was mounting on him to reach a compromise.
“You send messages saying — ‘Accept a siropa, bow down before us at dawn and we will get all your work done.’ You may kill me, you may ruin my entire household, but I will never leave my party. BJP has kept Lawrence Bishnoi to use him for giving threats. Now there is one threat every week. Tell me is Lawrence Bishnoi really giving these threats sitting in jail or the governments are just using gangsters to create an atmosphere of fear.”
In April 2026, Balkaur through his counsel advocate Satinder Pal Singh Mittal moved an application before the court seeking a formal status update on four accused — Navjot Singh alias Jyoti Pandher, Kanwarpal Singh Grewal, Avtar Singh, and Jeevanjot Singh alias Jugnu. It was alleged that police had neither filed any report clarifying if these accused had been arrested or declared innocent, nor presented any cancellation report or challan before the court to that date.
Story continues below this ad
In a status report filed before Mansa Sessions Judge Manjinder Singh finally in May 2026, Mansa police said Jugnu got himself into the conspiracy due to an alleged social media post, which he later deleted. With no proof, police declared him innocent.
The other three, however, remain under active investigation. Avtar lives just a few metres from Moosewala’s residence in Moosa. Police suspect he conducted reconnaissance through CCTV cameras installed outside his own home — using domestic surveillance equipment to allegedly monitor a neighbour who was being hunted.
Navjot and Kanwarpal are believed to be living in Canada and both were once close associates of the late singer but their relationship soured before the murder. All four had been named under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC in the SIT’s chargesheet. Jagroop Singh Rupa and Manpreet Manna were killed in separate police encounters.
The Supreme Court granted bail to two accused Pawan Bishnoi and Jagtar Singh. The Bench also raised an uncomfortable question: “How were mobile phones used from inside prison? Your jail authorities are also in on the conspiracy?”
Story continues below this ad
The gang splits
Four years after the killing that brought them notoriety, the very gang accused of killing Moosewala has split. Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldie Brar — once the two most feared names operating in tandem — have parted ways due to personal rivalries and power struggles. The murders of Rupa and Manpreet Manna are widely seen as a direct consequence of the animosity that developed between Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria.
The conspiracy’s wider reach
The alleged conspiracy, Moosewala’s uncle Chamkaur Singh said stretches far beyond gangsters. He said that Balkaur had recorded statements against two individuals who were associated with the AAP-run state government’s media operations. One of them is now reportedly working for the Congress’ media cell. It is a possibility, he said, that both might be made to join the investigation in future.
In another layer to the case, two prominent Punjabi singers are currently under inquiry in connection with the murder. Their names are yet to be officially disclosed.
A family living under threat
Four years on, the ordeal for the Moosewala family has not remained till the courtroom. Chamkaur said that the family continues to receive death threats and the state machinery has done nothing in response. “All kinds of threats keep coming every day. Four have come in just the last two months. But who listens to us,” he asked, adding what kind of a system is this where gangsters can send threats from inside jail.
Story continues below this ad
He added that the police don’t register FIRs and say that “these calls are from outside, what can we do about it?” The security arrangement for the family, Chamkaur said, is also very less.
For Balkaur, the years since his son’s death have been a painful vigil at courtrooms. As early as October 2023, he voiced frustration when 25 accused were brought to court only via video conference. Lawrence Bishnoi remained silent in court, citing a maun vrat (vow of silence). His own testimony as complainant — the most crucial in the entire trial — remains only partly recorded.
